One of the greatest centres to ever play basketball, Shaquille O’Neal was also a player who enjoyed himself a lot. In his book “Eleven Rings,” the venerable coach Phil Jackson shared a tale about NBA legend Shaq and his lighter side.
One of the greatest NBA coaches in history, Phil Jackson coached several dynasties, and won three consecutive NBA Finals on three different occasions, and another two back-to-back. Over the course of his 20-year head coaching tenure, he won six titles with the Chicago Bulls and five with the Los Angeles Lakers. In addition to O’Neal, he also coached some of the best NBA players in history, including Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Jackson recounts an incident in his book in which O’Neal unexpectedly showed up at his home. O’Neal was “all about fun,” as Jackson noted after delivering the story, and he wrote as such: “Shaq was making quite a stir in the neighbourhood when I arrived, jumping on a trampoline near the lake. Numerous boats full of onlookers suddenly swarmed into the bay close to our home to marvel at the gigantic leaping through the air. Shaq did not let us down.”
NBA legend Shaq:
“O’Neal always knew how to have fun.” O’Neal was a unique athlete because, despite being one of the league’s most dominant players and putting up huge numbers, he always appeared to be having fun.
In the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal was feared for using his enormous frame to tower over defenders and tear through them. Few ever stood in his way as he entered the paint, and once there, he frequently scored.
He averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds throughout the course of his 19-year career, winning four NBA titles, two scoring crowns, one MVP, 15 All-Star appearances, 14 All-NBA, and three All-Defensive awards. He was easily a first-ballot Hall of Fame player thanks to his outstanding career.
O’Neal enjoyed himself greatly while playing and winning the game, but he also enjoyed himself greatly off the court. He produced music and his own film, and even in retirement he continued to have fun. One of his most popular segments, O’Neal DJ’s, co-hosts NBA games on TNT and runs videos throughout the week making fun of players who make blunders.
In addition to being one of the NBA’s top players, Shaquille O’Neal is also a standout performer. His sense of humour has been very important in his life outside of the NBA.
So, this was all about the NBA legend Shaq. Also read, Find Out! Bollywood Actors favourite football clubs.