Consider the possibility of Shaquille O’Neal teaming up with Dirk Nowitzki on the Dallas Mavericks. It turns out that fans nearly witnessed this exciting collaboration, but circumstances prevented it from happening.
During a recent episode of “The Big Podcast,” O’Neal shared with Nowitzki that he made several attempts to join the Mavericks throughout his career. He revealed that when he was preparing to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, he had discussions with Mark Cuban about making the move to Dallas.
However, the Lakers could not facilitate the trade, leading O’Neal to sign with the Miami Heat instead. The prospect of O’Neal and Nowitzki playing together is intriguing and could have altered the NBA’s terrain.
Both players were at the peak of their careers during that time, demonstrating immense skill and dominance on the court. Had they been teammates, the Mavericks would have instantly emerged as one of the most formidable forces in the Western Conference.
Thus, it’s not surprising that the Lakers rejected any suggestions of O’Neal moving to Dallas. They were unwilling to let their iconic center join a rival team in the same conference if he was to leave.
In an ironic twist, O’Neal ended up joining the Heat, a team that would go on to defeat the Mavericks in the Finals a few years later. In the 2006 Finals, Miami triumphed over Dallas, with O’Neal averaging 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in that series.
It’s quite surprising that the Mavericks never secured O’Neal, particularly as his career began to wind down. As a result, fans are left to ponder what could have been had he transitioned to Dallas right after his time with the Lakers.
The combination of O’Neal and Nowitzki would have formed an incredibly powerful and impactful duo.