Shaq should have made the Dream Team and was “jealous.” The forgotten and hated college star by fans took his place alongside Jordan, Barkley and Magic in the 1992 Olympics.

Many believe that Isiah Thomas was the Dream Team’s biggest snub.

Shaq might disagree.

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The Dream Team – the nickname given to the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team – is widely considered to be the greatest sports team assembled.

The all-star team was filled with NBA icons and future Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley.

Chuck Daly’s all-conquering team, which won gold in Barcelona, ​​Spain that year, also included some lesser-known names – primarily Christian Laettner, who was selected over the ‘Great Aristotle’ himself, Shaquille O’Neal.

Looking back, the inclusion of Laettner over O’Neal seems egregious.

Shaq, a four-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, is widely considered the most dominant big man of all time and one of the greatest centers in NBA history.

Laettner, meanwhile, played for six different NBA teams during a 13-year career, the highlight being a solitary All-Star nomination in 1997.

But in 1992, Laettner was the proverbial big man on campus who led Duke to three straight NCAA championship games and back-to-back national titles in 1991 and 1992.

The 6-foot-11 former Blue Devil was a college basketball superstar who broke the hearts of UConn and Kentucky fans with a pair of epic shots at the buzzer and held NCAA Tournament records for points scored, games won and career games played.

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Laettner, the NCAA Player of the Year his senior year, was the poster child for Mike Krzyzewski’s program with his good looks, drive and dynamic play.

At times, however, he struggled to walk the line between confidence and arrogance, annoying opposing players and fans with his optimistic mentality and knack for winning favorable fouls.

The power forward/center was looked down upon for many reasons – his temperament, his academic success, his middle-class upbringing, Duke privilege – and was later featured in an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary titled I Hate Christian Laettner.

Laettner was undeniably a polarizing figure, but on the field he was a certified stud.

He proved it in 1991 when his Duke team faced LSU and Associated Press National Player of the Year Shaquille O’Neal.

Laettner dominated a foul-plagued Shaq and finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Years later, O’Neal reflected on that match.

“And then the first time I played it, it killed me,” he said. “He destroyed me. I’m not racist or anything, but that white boy ate me.”

In 1992, O’Neal dominated Laettner in a rematch 25-22, but the latter’s team took a 77-67 victory.

Shaq was still a force in college, being named a two-time All-American and a two-time SEC Player of the Year while averaging 24.1 points, 14.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks during his senior year.

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However, his Tigers failed to make a splash at The Big Dance and his college career ended with a 2-3 record in the NCAA tournaments.

Laettner, meanwhile, was winning national championships for one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

When the 1992 NBA Draft rolled around in June of that year, the Orlando Magic clearly felt that Shaq had the higher ceiling.

They drafted him No. 1 overall while Laettner went to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 3.

Both players were considered for Team USA’s roster at the 1992 Olympics, with one spot intentionally left open for a college player.

Ultimately, head coach Daly opted for the more proven player in Laettner – a fair choice considering he was a year older than Shaq and more established on the collegiate circuit.

Laettner didn’t expect to play so much that summer and that’s exactly how it turned out.

He averaged 4.8 points per game in his eight appearances as the Dream Team cruised to the gold medal.

Laettner was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his role on the Dream Team, but after that summer, his and O’Neal’s careers followed completely different trajectories.

Years later, O’Neal said that although he was frustrated at being left out of the Dream Team, he understood the decision.

“I was screwed. I was jealous,” O’Neal said in a radio interview during the 2012 NBA Finals.

“But then I had to realize that I was a more explosive and more powerful player, but Christian Laettner was a little more solid than me. Plus, he stayed four years and graduated. … I just think that it helped me grow as a player.

Shaq’s near inclusion on the Dream Team remains one of basketball’s big “what ifs.”

While the idea of ​​Shaq teaming up with MJ and Barkley is dreamy, the reality is that they didn’t really need him to succeed.

The American team won their matches by an average of 43.8 points and scored over 100 points in each match en route to the gold medal.

They also averaged 117.3 points per game, an Olympic record, and would have destroyed any opposition they faced, with or without Shaq.