Yao Ming Admits He Was Lucky Not to Face Prime Shaquille O’Neal

Yao Ming reflected on his matchups against Shaquille O’Neal and admitted he was lucky not to face Shaq in his prime. Yao said, “I’m just caught in lucky timing that when he is just, I don’t know if he’ll agree to that, passed his peak, and slightly falling down, and I’m still young enough to compete.” Despite Shaq being past his peak, he still dominated their head-to-head matchups, averaging 21.2 points and 10.1 rebounds against Yao, winning 10-8. Yao’s career was cut short by injuries, but his battles with Shaq remain a defining part of his NBA legacy.