I’ll punch you in your face” – Shaq once threatened people who say Karl Malone, John Stockton and Pete Maravich weren’t great

“I’ll punch you in your face” – Shaq once threatened people who say Karl Malone, John Stockton and Pete Maravich weren’t great

Shaquille O’Neal, in his prime, was (arguably) the most dominant force in NBA history. But while nobody could slow him down back then, “Diesel” knew how to show genuine respect and admiration for his rivals and the legends who dominated the game before him. In fact, O’Neal once acknowledged the greatness of Utah Jazz’s dynamic duo Karl Malone and John Stockton and Jazz great Pete “Pistol Pete” Maravich

In typical Shaq fashion, the Los Angeles Lakers big man sent out a warning to anybody who would disrespect Malone, Stockton, and Maravich in any way.

“If I’m walking in Utah and you tell me that John Stockton or Karl Malone aren’t great, I’ll punch you in your face,”O’Neal said in 2000. “If you tell me Pistol Pete Maravich wasn’t a great player, I’ll punch you in your face. Guys like that are great.”

Shaq and the Lakers knew how great the Jazz were

Unlike the others, O’Neal’s respect for the Jazz was rooted in firsthand experiences, given that Shaq and the Lakers used to get torched by Utah in the playoffs before they became the most dominant team in the league.