Shaquille O’Neal did play with LeBron James on his journeyman tour out of the NBA.
When NBA fans remember Shaquille O’Neal, the era always goes from his years from Orlando to the Lakers to the Heat. After the Heat traded the “Big Diesel” to the Phoenix Suns, Shaquille’s journeyman tour around the NBA had begun. One of those stops was in Cleveland for a year to play with LeBron James.
During O’Neal’s introductory press conference in Cleveland, he said that his goal with the Cavaliers was to win a ring for the King. Even though that didn’t happen, he was productive in a lot of games during the only season they spent together as teammates.
The former first overall pick of the Orlando Magic in 1992 averaged 12 points and seven rebounds during his season with the Cavs while also appearing in 11 postseason games. It was Shaquille’s last productive stop in the NBA before he became the “Big Shamrock” in Boston.
He was remembered more for getting dunked on by Nate Robinson after practice in Boston than his uniform number (36). Injuries derailed his final season in the NBA.