Shaquille O’Neal is happy to share his opinions with the world on ‘Inside the NBA,’ but that’s about the extent of his role when it comes to the modern NBA. As he revealed don ‘The Big Podcast,’ O’Neal prefers to sit back and observe from afar instead of trying to take on a coaching job for himself.
“No, never. You know why? ‘Cause I smack people,” said O’Neal. “If I tell you to do something and you don’t do it, I’m just gonna smack you.”
It’s tough to imagine how Shaq would be as a coach, but his experience, cache, and commanding presence would definitely be enough to earn the respect of every player in the locker room. Of course, what made Shaq such a good player in his day would also be his biggest problem as a coach and it’s why he has no plans to follow in the footsteps of other legends like Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash, and others who have made the transition.
Could Shaq Fix The Lakers?
As a 15x All-Star, 14x All-NBA player, and 4x champion, not many in the world understand what it takes to win more than Shaquille O’Neal. During his stint with the Lakers, he was the epitome of dominance and never shied away from the big moments. Whether in the locker room or on the court, the Lakers could certainly use a guy like that right now amid their continued struggles this season.
Besides LeBron James and Antony Davis, no player has stepped up to the plate for Los Angeles and it’s made it hard to keep up in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. At this point, the only option left is to make some trades, and the rumor is that Hawks guard Dejounte Murray could be the guy. Whatever the case, the problems go beyond just one area and the Lakers will need more from everyone (especially the coach) to live up to their potential this season.
Darvin Ham On The Hot Seat
As the head coach of a struggling Lakers team, it’s no surprise that Darvin Ham’s future has been shrouded in doubt. Initially, he was brought in to bring the team together in the wake of Russell Westbrook’s short-lived tenure. But now, Ham is looking like a guy that’s in over his head as he fights to save his job.
So far, the Lakers have made it clear that they will stand by Darvin, and he earned some benefit of the doubt when he led the Lakers to the Conference Finals last year. But if things don’t turn around soon, they may have no choice but to look for another voice in the locker room. Of course, Shaquille O’Neal will not be up for consideration for the job, but maybe they should heed his advice and bring in someone who is accomplished enough to get everyone to listen. Only time will reveal who that person might be, but it’ll be an important decision for the Lakers either way that could make or break their short-term future.
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