Clash of the Titans: Shaq vs. Greg Ostertag

Greg Ostertag had a habit of frustrating Shaquille O’Neal, writes Steve Godfrey. (Photo by Steve Wilson via sltrib.com)

In the annals of basketball history, certain rivalries stand out for their intensity and the sheer physicality they brought to the game. Among these memorable clashes, the battles between Shaquille O’Neal and Greg Ostertag shine as a testament to the grit and determination displayed by these two giants of the court.

Whenever Shaq’s team faced off against Ostertag’s squad, the paint became a battleground. Shaq’s powerful dunks and thunderous rebounds collided with Ostertag’s tenacious shot-blocking and relentless hustle. Each game was a test of strength, endurance, and skill, as these giants battled for supremacy beneath the rim.

Off the court, their rivalry fueled the media frenzy. Sports analysts debated who had the upper hand, while fans eagerly anticipated the next matchup. The tension between them was palpable, a mix of mutual respect and the desire to outdo one another. Even though their battles sometimes escalated into heated exchanges, it was all part of the competitive spirit that defined their era.

Hyperbole? Maybe. 

Shaq vs ‘Tag: Defined by the numbers

Throughout the 1990s, the Utah Jazz were the Western Conference top dog with Hall-of-Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone picking and rolling to two NBA Finals appearances. Standing in the center was Ostertag, a 7-foot-2 Texan big man who provided rim protection, yet was too inconsistent to be a player of significance when the stakes were highest. 

From my recollection, that is except when he played against Shaq. And my memory is decent: according to StatMuse, Ostertag rejected the most career shots versus O’Neal. That final tally is 56 with Dikembe Mutombo in second with 52. Additionally, Ostertag would hold Shaq to 25 points per game on 54 in their 32 regular season head-to-head matchups. In the playoffs, Ostertag went 8-1 when they faced each other, causing Shaq’s turnovers and personal foul numbers to go up along the way, too.  

The players who blocked Shaq most often — starting with a certain Jazz center.

Shaq vs ‘Tag: Defined by a story

O’Neal, standing at an imposing 7’1″ and weighing in at around 325 pounds, was a force to be reckoned with. A dominant presence on both ends of the court, his blend of power, agility, and finesse made him one of the most feared centers in the league. Immediately from the get-go, fans knew he was the real deal as his Orlando team beat Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the playoffs, went to the Finals, and seemed destined for dynasty. 

But then he went to the Los Angeles Lakers and teamed up with superstar Kobe Bryant instead. Before they could reach four straight finals together, they needed to get past the Utah Jazz. A mini rivalry took place, especially from the center position. 

One such playoff matchup proved significant as the Jazz swept the Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals in 1998. As the good times rolled, Ostertag talked and talked as Shaq’s season ended early and the Jazz rode on. The following preseason, Karl Malone retells that O’Neal approached him before the game and said, “‘Hey, if I see that motherf—er I’m going to slap the s— out of him.” Malone was certain in the moment that the big fella was not lying. “We’re waiting on (Ostertag) to come out for the preseason, on the shootaround, and Shaq walked right to him. ‘Man, I told you to quit talking that s—.” Malone continues, “Before we could even respond, Ostertag’s on the ground looking for his contact. It ruined him for the rest of our career.”

In his book Shaq Uncut, O’Neal adds that he wasn’t even playing that day. Yet, he still walked the court to find Ostertag and chit-chat. As he tells, Ostertag let some words out and Shaq responded by saying, “Oh, you bad now?” As they kept mouthing, Shaq hit him with the inside of his palm and Ostertag slammed the deck. “Ostertag hit the deck like I had slugged him or something. I got him with an open hand. He was curled up on the ground moaning, ‘My contact lenses.’ It was embarrassing. I was embarrassed for him.” Shaq was suspended a game and fined $10,000 by the NBA, but Jerry West hit him harder. West told Shaq to apologize and that if anything like that happened again, he would trade him: no questions asked. 

I remember the 1997 playoffs and Ostertag was the man. Like, the man. If you are looking for evidence as to why Ostertag was talking the talk, look at game five, as the Jazz closed the series 4-1 behind his nine blocks and defense that held Shaq to only 23 points. “Nobody thinks I’ve done anything all year,” Ostertag said. “Especially Shaq. But I guess that’s why he’s playing golf right now and I’m in the Western Conference finals.”

Cue the nostalgia. 

Shaq vs ‘Tag: Defined by my memory

There was a day when I was in high school that my Dad called me up to share some important news. I picked up my phone to hear my Dad say, “Steve, they’re building a new statue outside of the Delta Center.”

Previously, Stockton and a Malone had been cemented to acknowledge and solidify the legacy of the two Jazz heroes. Who else could be worthy of such an honor? Who else could stand among them? 

While these thoughts raced through my head, my Dad continued, “Larry (Miller) just announced they are putting a statue of Greg Ostertag in the middle of Stock and the Mailman.”

It was April Fools Day.

Speaking of my dad, I have a memory that I swear is accurate. I can’t find anything to verify my words, but they are my words and I swear they are true. I was 10 or 12 and my dad took me to a Lakers-Jazz game. 

I remember ‘Tag putting up a heckuva game. He was irritating Shaq, pushing him off of the block, overpowering for rebounds, and putting on an offensive display that was few and far between. If you remember the 90s, ‘Tag had a lot of games where you thought he could be a missing piece in the Jazz quest for a championship. There weren’t many of them, but every now and then it was, like, please, more of this, please! 

As this game went on, the battles became more and more intense. Hips were shoving, elbows were throwing, and words were exchanging. Everyone in the building could sense and smell and see the bad blood. But everyone in the building was rooting for, cheering on, and for maybe the first time ever, being proud of their Goliath.

Now, both are big guys but Shaq was 320+ lbs of muscle and Ostertag was scrawny, a mere 280. But relentless like a bee, ‘Tag stood his ground. Shaq finally had enough, shoved hard enough, and play was stopped as the two were separated. Ostertag must’ve already had a technical foul, or what he did was worse, because he was then ejected from the game. 

Ready to riot, he wasn’t through, though, as Greg sulked over to the bench, spitting out his fake teeth in the process. It wasn’t a mouthguard. It wasn’t a retainer. I swear on my life it was his teeth. Then, holding his dentures in his left hand, he grabbed the Gatorade table with the other, flipping it over into a puddled mess. Greg was intense, in the zone, played his heart out, and now had to leave the arena because of big bad bully Shaq.

He did so to a standing ovation. 

Posterized is a verb that gets tossed around when someone makes an ESPN top play on you, turning you into a poster. Ostertag was a product of such posterizations. He was dunked on by the best, dunked on by the smallest, and just dunked on by anybody. They came at him and he vowed in vain to protect the rim as his 7 foot 2 frame slid off the ground an inch, which is being generous. Time after time, he got posterized. 

Ostertagged is a verb I just came up with, having a similar function as to what has previously been mentioned. Perhaps a product of being posterized by someone ridiculous, like your mother or little sister, Ostertagged is the result. It’s embarrassing. That day, I think Shaq got Ostertagged.