Shaq named the five NBA stars he'd most want to fight including player who 'almost bit finger off'

Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most powerful athletes in basketball history. And if the towering NBA icon ever made a transition into NBA, he'd have been a fearsome force inside the cage.

Regarded as the most dominant big man the NBA has ever seen, the former Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat centre won four titles, one Most Valuable Player award and three Finals MVPs during his career on the hardcourt.

The 7ft 1ins superstar retired in 2009 and has since gone on to become one of the most successful TV analysts in basketball broadcasting, while his savvy approach to investments has reportedly seen him accumulate a net worth of $500 million.

A man of many trades, O'Neal has also released five original rap albums, acted in several moves and – for the reality TV series Shaq Vs.– even faced former world champions Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Moseley in exhibition boxing contests.

In 2011, during an appearance on interview on HD Net's Inside MMA, he discussed a potential move into mixed martial arts and named five NBA players he'd like to fight.

"I don't know about this new NBA ... so I'm going to answer that with some old-school players," O'Neal said.

He went on to name his Inside the NBA co-host Charles Barkley as one desired opponent, along with former Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, former journeyman forward Xavier McDaniel and former New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley.

He finally named his old boss, ex-Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, "to throw a white guy in there".

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"Danny Ainge one time bit Tree Rollins' finger almost off in a match," O'Neal said, referencing a scrap between Ainge and the former Atlanta Hawks centre.

Of the then-current NBA stars who'd make a worthy MMA foe, O'Neal named Ron Artest.

Artest was involved in the 2004 mass brawl between some Indiana Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans that became known as "Malice at the Palace", so called because it took place in the closing moments of a game between the two teams at the Pistons' home arena, the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The former Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers small forward took to Twitter – the social media app now known at X that was in its infancy at the time – to respond to Shaq's apparent challenge.

"I won't do mma with shaq because they don't pay It would have to be boxing Hbo or ppv hbo or showtime," he wrote.

"My top four boxing matches in the ring only would be Shaq/kimbo slice/Ben Wallace/and klitschko But only boxing And only in the ring."