Grant Hill had a long career in the NBA, and even though injuries robbed him of the opportunity to be one of the greatest ever, he managed a stellar career spanning nearly 2 decades. In one of his last stops in the league, Hill was a part of the Phoenix Suns, where he ended up being on the same team as Shaquille O’Neal.
Hill has spoken a few times about what Shaq was like in the locker room, discussing his sense of humor and talking about the pranks he used to pull. This is something that O’Neal has brought to almost every team he has been a part of and what has made him so successful as a part of the media.
So, it’s no surprise that Hill once described Shaq as one of the funniest characters he has met during his time. He spoke about it on an episode of Open Court.
(starts at 5:31 minutes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3sa936xfz4
“I played 19 years in the league. You know, you come across a lot of characters. But for me, hands down, it’s Shaquille O’Neal. I can’t repeat most of the stories but I think he would literally come to practice every day thinking, ‘How can I make everybody laugh’?
“I remember one time we were getting ready to play a big game against Dallas… And after the pregame meeting, I go in the bathroom, and Gordan Girichek is laid out on the floor. And the trainers are trying to wake him up, and Shaq choked him out. 18 minutes left on the clock we’re going out ready to play and Shaq put him in a sleeper hold because he was talking too much.”
Shaquille O’Neal has always been an intense personality, and while the story might sound a little wild, he’s mostly remembered fondly by the players that have played with him. His larger-than-life persona will always be part of who he is, and as more stories come out, fans learn more and more about it.
