In high school, he studied and imitated Ewing's style of play.
Last November, at Madison Square Garden, O'Neal faced Ewing for the first time.
He took the initiative to greet Ewing, saying, "Hello, Mr. Ewing."
Ewing, however, responded viciously, "I'm going to smash you, rookie."
The Knicks won that game.
But Ewing, against O'Neal's intense defense, went 7 for 16, scoring only 15 points.
O'Neal, on the other hand, had 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
By this January, when the Knicks visited Orlando, O'Neal showed no mercy.
He went 10 for 17, with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks, leading the team to a one-point victory over the Knicks.
Ewing, facing O'Neal's defense, went 9 for 27, his shooting percentage was shockingly low.
He scored even one point less than O'Neal, exposing his weaknesses against a top-tier low-post defender.
Although in the subsequent meetings, Ewing fought hard to reclaim his standing,
