I take back what I said about Shaquille O'Neal

About 7-8 years ago, I wrote a column about then-Orlando Magic center Shaquille O'Neal.

In it, I blasted O'Neal for being a one-dimensional player. At that time, he just had one move -- he could dunk.

His free throwing was atrocious. He was shooting about 40 percent from the free throw line.

If it weren't for journeyman center Chris Dudley (Doo-No-Right) and his sub-30 percent adventures at the charity stripe, Shaq would have been the worst foul shooter in the league.

Shaq and the Magic were swept in four games by the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals.

A couple years later, he signed a $20-million plus a year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, who also traded for a high school phenom named Kobe Bryant.

When he arrived in La-La-Land, it seemed that Shaq was more interested in making CDs and movies than playing basketball. Shaq and Bryant -- all of 23 -- have won three straight NBA championships together. The Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets in four games, which included Wednesday night's 113-107 win in Game 4.

They have been guided -- in the basketball and spiritual sense -- by coach Phil Jackson.

Jackson posted his third "three-peat" and tied the legendary Boston Celtics' coach Red Auerbach for NBA titles with nine. Jackson posted two three-peats with some guy named Michael Jordan when Jackson was coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Jackson has also won a record 156 NBA playoff games.

The Lakers won their 14th NBA title, second only to the Boston Celtics with 16.

Shaq's NBA Finals performance was impressive. He scored 36, 40, 35 and 34 points in the four games.

The 7-foot-1 Shaq has improved his overall game despite playing on an arthritic big toe which may or may not have contributed to his weight of 382 pounds.

He no longer is just a mere dunker. He has a wide array of shots around the basket and is quite athletic for his size.

He is virtually unstoppable five feet from the basket. This is amazing because the NBA now lets teams play some zone defense, and most zones are designed to defend against Shaq.

O'Neal destroyed the three stiffs New Jersey deployed at center to try to stop him.

And now Shaq is no longer embarrassing himself or his team at the free throw line. He has worked hard to improve his free throw shooting.

While his form isn't anything to brag about, Shaq, who shot 52 percent from the line during the regular season, hit 45-of-68 attempts in the Finals (66 percent).

He also made 24-of-32 charities in the last two games of the Western Conference finals against Sacramento (the Lakers-Kings series would have made for a better Finals matchup).

Teams can no longer resort to the "Hack-A-Shaq" strategy of fouling him at crunch time.

Shaq is the key the Lakers' defense with his intimidation and shot blocking. He is also the focal point of the Tex Winter-designed triangle or triple-post offense with his ability to pass the ball. He is the best passing big man in basketball.

Shaq said he'll decided on when and if he'll have surgery on his toe. It would be amazing to see what a healthy Shaq would do.

When the NBA put Shaq on its 50 Greatest Players list a few years ago, I scoffed. At that time, he had yet to win a championship.

Does Shaq rank up there with the likes of George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a healthy Bill Walton and Hakeem Olajuwon as one of the greatest centers to play the game?

He's close.

Give him a few more years and a few more championships and he should be on that list. Shaq also benefits from the lack of competition in the NBA at his position.

Wilt Chamberlain had Bill Russell -- their matchups were the stuff of legends.

Shaq has the likes of Sacramento's Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard and New Jersey's Todd McCullough -- hardly worthy adversaries.

But you don't have to tell me that Shaq is a great player. You're preaching to the converted.

John J. Mesh is the sports editor of the McCook (Neb.) Daily Gazette. He predicts that the Lakers will win three or four more titles if they retain Shaq, Kobe and Phil Jackson and keep them interested. Let that be a lesson to the management of the Chicago Bulls who broke up the Jackson-Jordan-Scottie Pippen combo after they double three-peated. John can be reached at sports@mccookgazette.com.