Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most successful basketball players of all time. Not only did he make hundreds of millions on the court back when contracts weren’t as inflated as they are today, but he has also succeeded in the world of business and given a roadmap to many athletes on how to leverage their careers into success after retirement.
However, the money and fame of the NBA can end up corrupting players and taking them down the wrong route. One player with whom that wasn’t going to be a problem was Lakers’ role-player Mark Madsen, who played alongside Shaq for 2 out of the 3 years of the Lakers’ 3-peat in 2001 and 2002.
Shaquille O’Neal took a real liking to Madsen, who he called the purest guy in the NBA. To show his appreciation and to protect him from undue influences, he bought Madsen a new wardrobe and a car.
“Mad Dog was the purest NBA guy I ever met. He really was. I had to protect that. I don’t know much about Mormons and their religion, but Mad Dog, most rookies come in and go crazy… There’s 12 guys on the team, and 11 of them are doing what guys with money do. There’s one guy that’s not. When there are 11 guys and you want everyone to be collective, I was willing to say ‘Mark’s not doing that. Stay away from him, don’t invite him out, don’t be bringing certain people around him, don’t do that.”
“I wanted to protect him but still wanted to make him cool, part of the guys. We had $1,000 suits and Mark had his khakis and little shirt… A suit may cost $1,000 but we’re not gonna pay a thousand. When I walk in, they’ll give us half off. I introduced him to my PA and dressed him up. Then we’re all in Ferraris, Mercedes, Lexus, Lamborghinis, so I took Mark to the dealership… Everybody had a truck, so I said we’re gonna get him a Suburban or a Tahoe because I wanted him to be a part of the team, but not really. He’s the purest guy I have ever met in the NBA.”
Madsen averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in his 3 seasons, playing limited minutes on the squad. However, he managed to have a 7-year NBA career which ended with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009.
Shaquille O’Neal Looking Out For His Teammates
Stories about Shaq as a teammate show different sides of him regularly. We have heard some incredible stories about how Shaq hazed people, but stories like this about Madsen show that O’Neal really appreciated high-character individuals around him. They are important in basketball as they keep their team honest and accountable.
Madsen had a strong relationship with Kobe Bryant also, showing how much he impressed the Lakers star duo at the time to be respected by both men despite being an end-of-the-bench rotation player.
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