Yeah Shaq and Yao will be one of the best rivalries in the NBA, shaq is the king and Yao is trying to dethrone shaq.........
I cant wait to see shaq get his A$$ dunked on by YAO......and Yao screaming like he did in the dunk against Theo Ratliff...
I agree with Freak. Its hard to call that a rivalry seeing as how both players and both teams are on entirely different levels. However, I would say that is one of the most exciting matchups.
True, a rivalry implies that there's a history of wins and losses on both sides. And it requires the accumulation of many hard-fought battles. That we haven't had. But there are several elements which make this matchup so delicious: -Shaq hasn't been challenged, one on one, in a long, long, long time. It's exciting to think that there's a force out there that could look him squarely in the eye. Even if I wasn't a Rockets fan, part of me would just be happy to see someone stand up to Shaq. -Old vs. New. This reminds me of when Kobe played MJ in the All-Star game, back in '98. The last year MJ was his old self and the first year Kobe came into his own. Two eras overlapped in one brief, electric moment. Shaq's the past and present, Yao's the future. (And for us Rockets fans, this encapsulates how we feel about the two teams in general). -Force vs. Finesse. Now it's not that clean of a distinction, since for years Shaq's game has showed more savvy than in his rookie dunking days. Generally speaking, though, Shaq scores his points through monstrous strength and uncanny speed. When he's at his best, Yao displays creativity that gives us shades of Kevin McHale. This rivalry is about contrasts. And contrasts are always compelling. Guess I'm stating the obvious. But I think there's something elemental in this mathup, something that transcends basketball and tugs us at a very visceral level.
Eventually I think it's gonna come down to a feud between duos. Steve and Yao against Kobe and Shaq. An example would be in the game last January when everyone was paying attention to Yao and Shaq, but the real battle was between Francis and Kobe. In the end, Steve kicked that pass in to Yao for the dunk while Kobe and Shaq were complaining to each other. We won the game, and the better duo (even if just for that game) prevailed.
All I remember is going to the game where it was the first time Shaq and Yao faced each other in Houston. Yao blocks Shaq's first 3 shots, the place erupted, it was so awesome! How many other rookies repeatedly stopped the most dominant player in the game when they first faced him, huh?
one thing you forgot, everybody loves a freak show and these guys are absolute monsters. just looking at these guys is entertainment in and unto itself.
