Okay so last weekend I got this itch to rewatch Shaq in his absolute prime, you know? Specifically that monster 1996 season. I remembered some mind-blowing dunks and blocks but couldn’t find a solid highlights compilation anywhere that hit right. The stuff online was either chopped up weird or super low quality. Total bummer.
Starting the Hunt
First thing I did was dig out my old external hard drive. The one buried under a pile of cables in the closet. Figured I backed up some classic NBA games there years ago when I was super into archiving stuff. Plugged it in, waited forever for the ancient thing to spin up, and started clicking through folders. It was a mess! Folders named things like “Old Stuff” and “Bball Maybe?”. Took ages.
Finally found a folder called “NBA Old School”. Jackpot! Inside, yeah, I had a few full games from 1996. Orlando Magic vs Knicks, Magic vs Bulls… perfect. But here’s the problem: raw game footage is hours long. I just wanted the explosive Shaq moments.
The Grind of Clipping
Okay, time to get my hands dirty. I fired up this simple video editor I use – nothing fancy, just gets the job done. Started loading the first game file. Took forever because the files were huge and my laptop’s not exactly brand new. Had to let it chug.
Then, I just started watching. Scrub forward, watch a play, rewind, watch again. Looking for those classic Shaq things:
- When he catches it deep, turns, and just destroys the rim.
- Those insane blocks where he sends the ball into the third row.
- The footwork for a big guy? Unreal sometimes.
- Him just running the floor like a freight train for a dunk.
Every time I found one, I marked the in-point and out-point. Click, drag, snip. Saved it as a new little clip. Rinse and repeat. For hours! My eyes were starting to glaze over by the second game. Got impatient a few times, clipped stuff too quick, then later realized I cut off the announcer’s awesome reaction. Had to go back and redo those. Annoying.
Making it Watchable
So now I had like thirty-something little clips. All different lengths, some were way brighter or darker than others. Looked messy. Needed to string them together smoothly.
Opened a new project. Started dragging the clips onto the timeline. Tried putting the biggest dunks and blocks first to grab attention. Then mixed in some of the skilled post moves and fast breaks. Added some simple transitions – just quick fade-to-blacks between most, nothing flashy.
Realized the audio levels were all over the place. Some clips had roaring crowds, others were quieter game sound. Went through each one individually, adjusting the volume slider up or down so it wasn’t jarring when it switched. Added a backing track – nothing modern, just a simple beat that wasn’t distracting. Kept the original game audio underneath it.
Exporting and Finally Watching
Finally, hit render. My laptop sounded like it was about to take off. Seriously worried for a minute! Went and made coffee while it ground away. Took way longer than I expected.
When it finished, I downloaded the final video file. Took a deep breath and hit play. Seeing those moments again… wow. Forgot how unstoppable he looked. Just pure, raw power and agility. That put-back dunk against the Bullets? The way he caught and slammed it in one motion… still gives me chills. Totally worth the hours of digging and clipping. Ended up just watching my own little highlight reel three times in a row. Pure joy reliving those awesome moments.
Lesson learned though? Name your backup folders properly! Would’ve saved me half the day.
