Getty Kobe Bryant (L), Rick Fox (2nd L), Linsey Hunter (2nd R) and Shaquille O'Neal (R) stand with the championship and MVP trophies after game four of the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets at Continental Airlines Arena 12 June 2002,in East Rutherford, NJ. The Lakers, led by O'Neal, swept to their third straight National Basketball Association championship with a 113-107 victory over the Nets.
Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the then-New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals and eliminated New Jersey in four games.
On a recent episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, O’Neal told me that that series was ‘boring’ because Nets center, Todd McCollough was no match for him.
“Todd McCollough playing me,” recounted O’Neal.
“Stop it. You know what’s crazy? I actually got mad when we were playing in Jersey. You think Todd McCollough is going to stop me at the crib in Jersey in front of my grandma and grandpa?….Sheeeeeit! No. Stop it.”
In addition to McCollough taking a crack at O’Neal defensively, so did Aaron Williams.
Nets week continues on Scoop B Radio with @aaron34williams!
Drops 12 PM ET on Thursday! – t.co/SYf6n69quw
A-Train played on the Nets’ ‘02 & ‘03 Eastern Conference championship teams & discusses everything from playing against the Lakers, guarding Shaq & Kidd!
Williams appeared on this week’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast and revealed why The Diesel was no easy defensive assignment.
Check out a snippet from our Q&A below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I remember you guys going toe-to-toe with the Lakers as well as with the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. And I had Shaquille O’Neal on the Scoop B Radio podcast recently and he literally said playing against you guys was “boring” and he said Todd McCollough couldn’t stick him, he said it was boring. He said it was boring because he had his grandma and grandfather watching him at home…how difficult was that Lakers team in the Finals for you guys and specifically you guarding Shaq at times?
Aaron Williams: I’ll tell you what. It wasn’t boring for us! [laughs]…I mean the number one question I get asked when people see me on the street or just meeting people and soon as tell people who the toughest person that I had to guard and it’s not even close. It’s Shaq! I mean for someone to be as big as he is, to be as skilled as he is, and the way he knows how to use his body and leverage, and just his instincts I mean – the only thing he couldn’t do is shoot free throws [laughs]
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: We knew that already [laughs]
Aaron Williams: Yeah. But he was so dominant that it didn’t even matter. So I fully understand why he was bored and swept us 4-0. We didn’t have much resistance for him down low. It was a tough challenge and then you throw in Kobe. It didn’t get any easier. Now you have to deal with and Shaq down low, so we definitely had our work cut out for us. They just took it to us and we had nothing for ‘em.