Shaq — House Martell
If you’ll recall Game of Thrones Season 4 when Oberyn Martell came to Kings Landing for the wedding of Joffrey “Baratheon,” Oberyn was quite possibly the best character to come form the show. He also was largely the embodiment of House Martell and the people of Dorne—and holy crap is it reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal as both a person and basketball player.
Using Prince Oberyn, The Red Viper, as the primary example, you’re talking about a man who is one of the most skilled, fierce, and untouchable warriors in all of the seven kingdoms. He was truly a force to be reckoned with and he essentially took down the biggest, baddest man in Westeros—The Mountain—with ease. However, he was also a fun-loving guy consumed and guided by a confusing and lackadaisical interior compass. When he could have finished off The Mountain, he instead was more concerned with his own personal gain rather than the larger objective—and it ultimately cost him.
Quite honestly, that’s eerily similar to the arc of Shaq, especially with the Lakers. There haven’t been many players in the history of the NBA that have been the presence that Shaq was when he was in Los Angeles. He was truly a tour de force night after night. And while he helped win the Lakers three titles in a glorious flash, that reign ended all too soon due to personal difference and a guy like Shaq’s personal approach not fully being in line with the reality of the situation with the Lakers.
Next: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar