Hack-a-Shaq - Name

Name

The name is a colloquial rhyme that comes from the term hack, a common basketball slang verb meaning "commit a personal foul", and Shaq, a frequently used nickname for Shaquille O'Neal; its rise in popularity coincided with that of the similarly named informal sport Hacky Sack in the early- to mid-1990s. Although the name is obviously informal, no more formal name for the strategy has yet come into common usage. Even in the context of more formal conversation, the name Hack-a-Shaq is generally used.

The Hack-a-Shaq name was originally used during O'Neal's college playing days, and during his NBA tenure with the Orlando Magic. At that time, however, the term referred simply to opposing teams employing an especially physical style of play in defending against O'Neal. Teams sometimes defended him by bumping, striking or pushing him after he received the ball in order to ensure that he did not score easily with layups or slam dunks. Because of O'Neal's poor free throw shooting, teams did not fear the consequences having personal fouls called against them when using such tactics. However, once Nelson's off-the-ball fouling strategy became prevalent, the term Hack-a-Shaq was applied to this new tactic, and the original usage was largely forgotten.