Teams have hacked him, whacked him, zoned him and even intentionally sent him to the foul line to neutralize him.

Whatever the strategy, Shaquille O'Neal demands special attention when he is on the floor.

When the Raptors began a three-game Western trip on Dec. 28 by beating the host Los Angeles Lakers, the behemoth O'Neal was resting an arthritic toe.

When the two-time defending champions make their first and only regular-season appearance in Toronto today, O'Neal will be front and centre.

Jerome Williams, the Raptors' self-styled Junk Yard Dog and the team's resident wrestling fanatic, borrowed a phrase made famous by the legendary Ric (Nature Boy) Flair when sizing up today's matchup.

"Until you are the best you have to beat the best," Williams said of the Lakers. "We beat them in their house and we know they're coming in here fired up."