“To become a Hall of Famer, I’m just going to start flaring my elbows” – When Shaq threatened to hurt Karl Malone and the Jazz originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Utah Jazz shut down Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal in Game 1 of their 1998 Western Conference Finals duel. Shaq just had 19 points on a horrendous 6-of-16 shooting night from the field.
Advertisement
Jazz big men Greg Foster, Greg Ostertag, and even Karl Malone were very physical with him the entire night. O’Neal was used to dominating his matchups in the paint, but he had no answer for the Jazz defense.
Vengeance
The Jazz’s 112-77 Game 1 victory was somewhat expected, given their experience compared to the Lakers’ relative inexperience. Still, Shaq vowed to avenge his team’s loss in Game 2. O’Neal promised to fight fire with fire and even warned Utah that they would feel some pain.
“To become a Hall of Famer, I’m just going to start flaring my elbows,” O’Neal said in 1998 via the Deseret News. “We see how they’re going to let us play, so we’ll just have to adjust and come back. If they’re going to let other people throw elbows, then we’re going to throw elbows.”
Advertisement
“I just hope a couple people don’t get their nose broken, ’cause of the flyin’ elbows, ’cause they’re coming up,” he added.
Shaq bounced back in Game 2 with 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting. He also had seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal. However, O’Neal’s efforts were insufficient as the Purple & Gold dropped Game 2, 95-99.
Pure basketball
Shaq’s threats did not faze the Jazz. He threw elbows, bullied Foster and Ostertag, and scored at will, but after four games, the Purple & Gold were headed back to their living room couches. Meanwhile, Malone and John Stockton were preparing for their 1998 NBA Finals matchup vs. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Advertisement
Lakers guard Nick Van Exel struggled throughout the entire series. He averaged just 9.0 points on 23.8% shooting. Right after the Jazz sent them packing, Van Exel shared his thoughts on the powerhouse Utah squad, praising their no-frills attitude.
“Playing them is like the project guys against a team,” Nick said. “The project guys always want to do the fancy behind-the-back dribbles, the spectacular plays, and the dunks, while the Jazz are a bunch of guys doing pick-and-rolls and the little things.”
“They don’t get caught up in the officiating, they don’t get down on each other, they don’t complain. They stand as a team and stay focused,” Van Exel remarked.
As the adage goes, you have to lose to learn how to win. That beating was a critical lesson for the young Lakers. O’Neal learned that brute strength alone will not propel him to a championship. He needed to develop his guile, wit, and mental fortitude if he wanted to become a champion.
Advertisement
The Diesel also needed a solid running mate to help him. The front office decided to let go of Van Exel and Eddie Jones, the two guards who had been very productive over the last few seasons. They chose Kobe Bryant as O’Neal’s partner in crime, a high-risk move given the young Black Mamba’s youth and inexperience.
However, as fate would have it, the Lakers reaped the rewards of their decision to keep Kobe. Just two years after their heartbreaking loss to Utah, Los Angeles again became the city of champions.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Leave a Reply