Shaq And Hakeem Are Forever Linked Again For This Insane Coincidence

Andrew D. Bernstein. Getty Images.

One of the wilder coincidences you'll come across today I'd imagine. Former Patriot, now Buccaneers Guard Shaq Mason and Bucs EDGE Shaq Barrett were named after the same guys, both first and middle name. These new teammates were 90s babies and both of their parents basketball fans, both naming their child after the two NBA greats. Shaquille Olajuwon Mason was born on August 28, 1993 in Tennessee while Shaquil Akeem Barrett was born 10 months earlier on November 17, 1992 in Maryland. The early 90s was somewhat of a Shaq-boom with the name Shaquille climbing into the Top 200 names at it's peak. And while Shaquille O'Neal wears many hats now with his role on Inside the NBA and his commercials with The General, he was a baaaaaaaad man when he was just focused on ball back in his Orlando Magic days.

And while Michael Jordan is the GOAT, the guy picked #1 overall in that 1984 Draft was no slouch either. Akeem Olajuwon, who in a WILD move added an H to his name (Hakeem) in 1991, was a FORCE as soon as he stepped on an NBA court. 

'The Dream' was literally unguardable in the post with these moves. *If you're a big guy, you won't be able to not watch this in it's entirety.

These two actually squared off in the 1995 NBA Finals with Hakeem's Rockets sweeping the Shaq's Magic 4-0.

And now these two will be forever linked in a different way as two Buccaneers teammates share their namesakes. What a crazy coincidence.