“Three guys that I could just not stop. I couldn’t guard them” – Shaquille O’Neal Names the Big Men Who Gave Him the Most Trouble

Certain personal preferences run deep in matchups, even for one of the game’s most dominant players, Shaquille O’Neal.

Some opponents never cost Shaq a second of sleep before tipoff. And then there were those he simply couldn’t figure out. Surprisingly, they weren’t the big names you’d expect from a four-time champion and one of the most imposing centers in NBA history.

More than a physical scorer

Setting aside his offensive dominance for a moment, O’Neal’s defense often goes overlooked.

Before entering the league as the Orlando Magic’s top pick in 1992, Shaq was already a force on that end. At LSU, he led the nation in both rebounding and blocks, earning a reputation as a fierce interior presence, elite rim protector, and strong man-to-man post defender.

That defensive identity eventually carried into the pros. During the Los Angeles Lakers‘ iconic championship runs in the early 2000s, the NBA superstar earned three All-Defensive Second Team honors.

Consistency was a challenge — effort sometimes fluctuated. However, when focused, the 2000 MVP combined size, timing, and smart decision-making to dominate the paint. Back then — as it still does today — simply placing a 7’1″, 325-pound giant in the lane was often enough to shut down opposing offenses.

Surprising nightmare matchups

O’Neal once told ESPN he faced off against some of the NBA’s all-time great big men, including Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Rik Smits.

But when Ernie Johnson asked him on “Open Court” who gave him the most trouble, the Hall of Famer surprised many by naming just one player from that elite group — the one you’d least expect.

Beyond 1998 All-Star Smits, O’Neal also singled out lesser-known big men who challenged him in ways that stood out.

“I had three guys that I could just not stop. I couldn’t guard them,” he shared. “First one was ‘Big Country’ Reeves; he would pick and pop my a**. Second one was Rik Smits early on before we faced you off in the Finals. He used to kill me. Another one was Zydrunas Ilgauskas. And then the last one is Gheorghe Muresan. He used to give me numbers in Washington.”

Most notably, Bryant “Big Country” Reeves — who spent his entire NBA career with the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies — topped Shaq’s list of nightmare matchups.

“Guards that don’t play defense, they always tell bigs to show,” the now 53-year-old explained. “So I would show and ‘Big Country’ 15 feet away, and I had to rotate back. And he had the ugliest one-hand Duckworth jumper. He shot it, and it always go in…he was killing me.”

During the segment, Charles Barkley wittily pointed out that his colleague named four players despite saying three. No one minded, though, as this unusual list revealed something intriguing.

Shaq’s toughest matchups, it seemed, weren’t the NBA’s legendary centers but those whose games exposed gaps in his defense. Except for Muresan — the tallest player in league history — they all had reliable mid to long-range shooting. These early prototypes of today’s stretch-fives weren’t traditional low-post bruisers; they stretched the floor with their shooting and mobility, forcing Diesel out of his comfort zone under the basket, where he normally ruled physically.