Shaquille O'Neal is one of the greatest players in NBA history, but free throws were never his strong suit.
The legendary big man made just 52.7 percent of his foul shots throughout his 19-year professional career, and on Tuesday night, a fan took a shot at O'Neal's lack of prowess from the charity stripe in response to a post about Shaq's most disrespectful dunks.
Of course, The Big Aristotle fired back in the only way he knows how: with a your mama joke.
Free throws didn’t stop me in the finals ask your momma I left her tickets
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) May 20, 2020
O'Neal made six NBA Finals appearances and won four championships during his day, but he actually shot worse from the free-throw line in the playoffs, making just 50.4 percent of his foul shots. As a matter of fact, in Shaq's first championship run with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, he shot a meager 38.7 percent from the stripe in the Finals.
But O'Neal does have a point: his inability to make free throws did not stop him from dominating the league.
From 2000 through 2002, O'Neal — along with the late Kobe Bryant — led the Lakers to three straight titles, a feat that has not been accomplished by any other team since.
Shaq averaged 38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds per game in the 2000 Finals, 33.0 points and 15.8 boards in 2001 and 36.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in 2002.
Clearly, O'Neal did not need to be a good free-throw shooter to stamp his name among one of the best three-year runs we have ever seen in the history of the NBA.
The big fella would later add another ring to his collection with the Miami Heat in 2006.
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