The Denver Nuggets are nicknamed “The Mile High City” for a reason. Denver is a mountainous city, sitting at one of highest altitudes in the United States. As a result, it is often difficult to breathe in the region, especially for individuals that aren't used to the climate. Many NBA players have expressed the difficulty of playing in Denver because of the lack of appropriate oxygen in the area.

It appears that four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal also experienced breathing issues while playing in Denver. O'Neal stated on NBA on TNT that he used to foul shave in Denver because he couldn't breathe in games.

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O'Neal is remembered as one of the most dominant players in NBA history. His incredible size, height, and quickness made his a nightmare matchup for opposing centers. In fact, O'Neal used his size and skill to simply overwhelm his opponents in the paint and finish with an empathetic dunk. Along with Kobe Bryant, O'Neal was responsible for forging the Lakers dynasty of the early 2000s. After disagreements with Bryant and the Lakers' management, O'Neal left the Lakers and joined the Miami Heat, where he won an NBA title with a young Dwyane Wade. Ever since, O'Neal has been ranked consistently as the NBA's most dominant big man, so this report is definitely surprising.

If Denver's altitude was the Achilles heel for O'Neal, then there are some possibilities that it could have affected his career. While the Lakers dominated the Western Conference for much of the previous decade, what would it have been like for O'Neal if he had to play a tough Nuggets team on his way to the NBA Finals if he could barely breathe in the city?