NBA Playoffs: The 30 most unforgettable individual playoff runs

NBA: The 30 most unforgettable individual playoff runs: 17. Shaquille O’Neal (1998)

While he was on the come-up, Shaquille O’Neal showed flashes of being the best player the game had ever seen. He was a physical marvel that was bigger than everyone else and could run the floor with ease. He is the prototype that every modern big man hopes to live up to when being the number one option on both ends of the court.

In 1998, the Lakers may have not been ready to win it all but that did not stop O’Neal from being a revelation. He showed that he could continue the dominance he had shown with the Orlando Magic in the bright lights of LA. Over 13 games he averaged 30.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 blocks per game.

The Lakers dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers in four games (best of five series), the Seattle Supersonics in five games before meeting up with the Utah Jazz in the Conference Finals. The Jazz were ultimately too much for the Lakers on the way to their second straight meeting with the Bulls in the Finals. The Lakers were unable to take a game from the Jazz but O’Neal was impressive in defeat. The big man averaged 31.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. This will not be his only appearance on this list.