Trump offered Shaq big money to participate in a one off match-up.
Donald Trump once offered Shaquille O’Neal big money to participate in a special, one off 1v1 game that basketball fans were desperate to see.
Trump will become the next President of the United States after winning the US election.
He gave a victory speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, and invited UFC President Dana White on to the stage with him.
And the 78-year-old Trump has been involved with sports for years, including his time as owner of the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League.
And in the mid 90s he put up the prize money for a special 1v1 match up between two of the NBA’s biggest stars – Shaq and Hakeem Olajuwon.
The pair had faced off in the 1995 NBA finals, and Hakeem was named the MVP as his Houston Rockets triumphed.
With the basketball world captivated by the rivalry, the duo’s agent suggested a 1v1 match-up.
Trump planned to host the event at his Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City and put up $1million as prize money – a huge amount for even the biggest NBA stars in the 1990s, who were earning around $5m per season.
However, the event was cancelled last minute after Hakeem injured his back and it was never rescheduled.
Shaquille O’Neal in action for Phoenix Suns. Image: Getty
Although Hakeem came out on top in the 1995 finals, Shaq later admitted it was a turning point in his career that pushed him to become a better player.
He said: “Just him being one of the best ever. I realized that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. That year, we faced off, and the best won out. It just made me a much stronger competitor.”
Shaq went on to win four NBA Championships, three finals MVP awards and one regular season MVP, and is now widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time.
Hakeem, who was drafted first overall ahead of Michael Jordan in 1984, finished his career in 2002 with two championship rings, two finals MVP and one regular season MVP awards, and 12 All-Star appearances.
