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The worst injustice of Shaq’s career was that too many people believed he was only great because he was big.

So far from the truth.

Shaq could handle the ball well enough to lead the break or unleash a crossover that left opponents in the dust. He could hit jump shots and hit teammates with pinpoint no-look passes. He could spin and slip his 7-foot-1, 300-something-pound frame into the lane for hooks and bankers with moves that had nothing to do with pure power.

But as he increased the mileage and pounds throughout his career, the public forgot how many tools Shaq had in his toolbox. Size alone didn’t make him arguably the best passing big man of his era. Size didn’t give him the timing to block more than 2,700 shots (7th all-time). Size didn’t give him the desire to pull down more than 13,000 rebounds (12th all-time). Size didn’t give him the accuracy to score more than 28,000 points (5th all-time).

Size didn't put him in the career postseason top five in points, rebounds and blocks. Four NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, one regular season MVP, three All-Star Game MVPs, Olympic and World Championship gold medals … if it were as simple as size, Giant Gonzalez would have a spot in the Naismith Hall of Fame. Shaq was one big-ass basketball player, but he was indeed a basketball player.