George Mikan,

GEORGE MIKAN, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar brought the Los Angeles Lakers 11 NBA championships with their outstanding play at center. And recently Lakers fans have cheered Shaquille O’Neal in the middle. This big man helped the franchise add three more championships in the beginning of the 21st century—the first in 2000.

Leading three games to two, the Lakers hosted the Indiana Pacers in game six of the championship finals. For three quarters, Indiana outplayed Los Angeles and led 84–79 at the start of the fourth. Finally, with the Pacers concentrating on the middle, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, and Robert Horry opened up the Lakers offense by connecting for four three-pointers and igniting a 22–10 run. Shaq, who totaled 41 points and 12 rebounds for the game, contributed 10 points during the L.A. streak.

Indiana regrouped late in the fourth and pulled to within one at 110–109 with 1:27 remaining. But two costly fouls quashed the Pacers’ comeback. Glen Rice sank two free throws at the 1:10 mark, and Kobe Bryant hit two more with 13 seconds left, putting Los Angeles in front 114–109. The Lakers held on for a 116–111 victory.

Sportswriters voted O’Neal the MVP, giving him his third major award of the season along with his All-Star game and regular season MVP honors.

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POINT Shaquille O’Neal will someday be remembered as one of basketball’s greatest big men. At 7-foot-1 and 315 pounds, Shaq towers over the court. But he moves well for someone who wears size 21EEE shoes. Not only does Shaquille possess a big body, he has big skills. He knows how to pass to his teammates and get others involved in the game.

Most of us will never be physically as big as No. 34, but we can grow a big heart for God. We can put others first. We can give our time to read to residents in a nursing home. We can share with a family that has less than we have. We can listen to a friend. And we can share the bigness of our God with the world.

GOAL! Measure 7-feet-1-inch, Shaquille O’Neal’s height. How many inches would you need to grow to be that tall? Perform an act of kindness to show that you’re becoming a spiritual giant. Ask God always to make your actions big in his sight.