The quiet beef between Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson

Shaquille O’Neal was not someone to shy away from — or create — conflict to motivate himself. His beef with David Robinson is among them.

Shaquille O’Neal is a strange guy. That has always been his m.o.

He dominated everyone in the paint and was an unstoppable force for parts of his career. Really from the first time he entered the league.

O’Neal arrived in Orlando as a ready-made star. He was already getting advertisements and was already a magnet for television cameras. His play on the court backed that up, averaging 23.4 points per game and grabbing 13.9 rebounds per game his rookie year. He is one of the few players selected to the All-Star Game as a rookie.

It was a different NBA then. The big man roamed the paint and dominated the game. There was a pecking order O’Neal disrupted.

O’Neal though was also someone who created conflict. He thrived on it. That is what motivated him. He often spoke about his motivations — both real and invented — with players through the media. It helped motivate him. But sometimes it backfired.

SBNation’s “Beef History” series took a look at one unexpected feud. Shaquille O’Neal was the gregarious and boisterous young center . . . David Robinson was the quiet and solemn former Navy man. And they clashed several times over the years.

As the story goes, O’Neal concocted a story where Robinson failed to give him an autograph after the game. O’Neal repeated this story . . . and later admitted he made it up to motivate himself against Robinson.

But there were some actual battles. As the video relates, the Western Conference All-Stars sought to take O’Neal down a peg in the 1994 All-Star Game. His eight points and 2-for-12 shooting in that game were the fewest O’Neal would ever score in an All-Star Game. And, knowing Shaq, that rarely sits well with him.

He sought to get his revenge. And did so throughout the rest of the season. The Magic were still an up-and-coming team and David Robinson is still David Robinson, of course. The San Antonio Spurs still got the best of the Orlando Magic in this nationally televised game:

The beef hit its pinnacle in the 1994 season. O’Neal was in line to win the scoring title that year, his second in the NBA.

Robinson scored 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, in a game where the San Antonio Spurs and Robinson were gunning for points. That was just enough for Robinson to win the scoring title.

The two never met in the Finals thanks to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets upsetting the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Although they had plenty of playoff battles when O’Neal left for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Of course, by then, Tim Duncan was beginning to emerge and David Robinson’s career was coming to an end.

O’Neal was certainly his own character. And surely he had plenty of other beefs worth examining. But this one with Robinson explains both what made O’Neal an intense, ferocious player and also explains why O’Neal could never get out of his own way in creating unnecessary conflict.

Next: Grant Hill confirms plane ban cost Magic Tim Duncan

Conflict always of his own making.