Chances are Shaquille O'Neal isn't the greatest player in Lakers history. You have at least Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, and Kobe Bryant to get through before him. But most entertaining? You can say that even without the NBA on TNT gig, his instant quotable interviews, and his hip-hop career (although the streets still need a You Can't Stop the Reign follow-up).
O'Neal is an entertainer simply from the anomaly of his hardwood existence. A big part of his success is how O'Neal was naturally adept at eating people alive on the court on a nightly basis—he didn't have to train all that much like his competitors. You see players coming up with plans and busting their ass to simply stay in the NBA. Yet, it's a certainty O'Neal is ending up on SportsCenter the next morning. It's some kind of dark comedy: Shaq does him, his opponents fall regardless of what they do, and we watch.
Today, Shaq turns 43. Now that he's a guy who shoots the shit with Charles Barkley instead of bringing down NBA backboards, it's worth looking back on his career to put it in perspective. Which is exactly why we've Ranked Every Single Season of Shaquille O'Neal's NBA Career. Consider it a gift from us to The Diesel.