O'Neal's long-distance hook shot at the start had an element of luck, but he was definitely not just throwing it recklessly without any confidence.
Even though O'Neal loved to play, he spent a significant amount of time on the training court to improve his skills.
After joining the Lakers, O'Neal on one hand further enhanced his physical fitness, and on the other hand, focused on developing and refining his offensive techniques.
He couldn't be as versatile as Gan, but he could practice a few tricks like Karl Malone and dominate the court.
Among them, the hook shot became O'Neal's focus for technical improvement because he knew he couldn't drive into the basket for a dunk or layup every time.
Without much shooting talent, the hook shot was the best choice.
However, O'Neal's hook shot was different from the traditional big hook shots of Jabbar, Gan Guoyang, and the modified small hook shots of Olajuwon and Duncan.
His hook shot was more like a toss, or a half-throw half-hook.
