The Greatest Clutch Killer in History

O'Neal lay limp in the locker room as Gary Vitti massaged his calf muscles to ease the tension.

Thank goodness! It wasn't an Achilles injury!

Achilles injuries were relatively rare in this era. Unlike in the future, when the frenzied acceleration of offensive and defensive pace forced players through countless bursts and sudden stops, it was that kind of extreme movement that caused Achilles injuries.

Wilkins, Kobe, Durant, and the others had all torn their Achilles tendons by suddenly accelerating into drives from a standstill. O'Neal did not rely much on explosive bursts when he played; more often, he used his strength advantage.

Even so, the pain in his calf and the guilt of missing those crucial shots left Shaquille O'Neal inexplicably irritated.

At that moment, it felt as if two little figures appeared in Shaq's mind!

One was an angel!

The other was a devil!

The devil raised a tiny pitchfork and roared wildly, "What are you blaming yourself for? Do you really think Kobe would definitely have made those shots?"

The angel seemed to hesitate before saying, "Kobe is the best clutch player."

The devil flew into a rage. "Bullshit! I'm the leader of this team! Why should I give all the clutch shots to Kobe?"

"Both times, Kobe let you take the shot, but you missed them both."

"I'll make them eventually! If not once, then twice. If not twice, then three times."

"Kobe is the best clutch player."

"I'm the team leader!"

"Kobe let you shoot, and you missed."

"Are you exploiting a fucking bug?!" The devil's roar was deafening.

"Shaq! You stopped Hakeem's final attack. You already did very well." It was Gary Vitti's first time seeing O'Neal with such an expression. Even when he had lost to the Bulls in the 1997 Finals, O'Neal