Shaq's 45 Points A Reminder Of His Place in History

CLEVELAND - Shaquille O'Neal's first game in the NBA was so long ago that the first George Bush was still U.S. president. Michael Jordan was still in his 20's, O.J. Simpson not only hadn't killed anyone yet, but he was beloved by most Americans. Heck, even the Internet was publicly unknown.

That must make O'Neal a senior citizen by now.

Judging by his performance last night, he's not quite ready for a rocking chair just yet. The 17-year pro dominated his way to an unexpected 45 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 133-113 dismantling of visiting Toronto. It was O'Neal's highest point total in six years, since back when he played for the L.A. Lakers.

He even made a scintillating 20-of-25 shots.

I was reminded of Shaq's heyday with this performance, back when he was completely indefensible in the painted area (basketball term) and a nightmare for the opposition. Back in 1995, O'Neal (paired with then-superstar Penny Hardaway) matched up with the great Hakeem Olajuwon in the NBA Finals and got outplayed badly. When he returned to that stage five years later as a Lakers superstar, he was coming off his only MVP season which saw him average close to 30 points and 14 rebounds per game (playing alongside a 21-year old Kobe Bryant).

He was larger than life, averaging 38 and 17 in the '00 Finals.

The man was nothing short of excellent in leading the Lakers to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. Even Bryant's occasional insolence could not curtail the legacy that Shaq was building, which has been heavily criticized. True, he has never been the hardest worker or a good free throw shooter, but his immense size and agility combined to make him one of the biggest "game changers" in history.

And his sense of humor is a guilty pleasure.

Bottom line, I hope O'Neal continues his resurgence this season in Phoenix and treats us to a few more "Biggie and Tupac Era" performances. Back when 40 and 20 was always a possibility and Suge Knight was making snide remarks about Sean Combs at awards shows. Okay, maybe not that last part but you get the picture.

Next week Shaq turns a ripe 37 years old. The rest of us are celebrating a week early.