Shaquille O’Neal had a glorious career in the NBA, creating a dynasty with the Los Angeles Lakers and becoming one of the most dominant players to ever pick up a basketball. But those who have been close to him during this journey often sing praises of his generosity and how the size of his heart was proportional to his massive frame.
Tyronn Lue, O’Neal’s former Lakers teammate, recently sat down with former NFL player turned media personality Shannon Sharpe on his Club Shay Shay podcast. Lue also recalled how generous the Big Diesel was at a time when the entire league was struggling and no one knew what the future had in store for them.
“We go to Shaq’s house, man had a hell of a spread, we eat good. So we’re just sitting around talking, and he’s like ‘alright, here, before you leave, hold up.’ So he goes to the back, comes out with $10,000, and goes, ‘Here, go shopping, get yourself something.’
“I’m like, what? I can’t pay this back, it’s a lockout, I’m not gonna have my money. He said, nah, nah, nah, just keep it, don’t worry about it. Just keep it.” Lue told Sharpe.
Lue was only a rookie at the time of the 1998-99 lockout and hadn’t even received his first paycheck in the league at the time, which was supposed to be $287,500. His teammate essentially gave him an advance on his salary for free, something that would make anyone happy when they are unsure about their first-ever paycheck.
The 1998 lockout was a critical year for the league, and such a gesture coming from your teammate would have been surreal for Lue. Although it seems like the 48-year-old LA Clippers head coach is having trouble recalling the exact amount he received from the Big Diesel.
In a previous podcast appearance with ‘The Pivot’, Lue narrated the same incident but said that he received $20,000 from O’Neal instead of the $10,000 he revealed this time.
Whether it was $10,000 or $20,000, the story definitely shows how generous O’Neal was as a teammate. On the other hand, he was also one of the fiercest pranksters in the history of the league.
Tyronn Lue Recalls Shaquille O’Neal’s Epic Prank
O’Neal was brought up in an Army household, and discipline was a key factor for him growing up. When he came to the NBA, he carried that leadership aura around him and acted as the de facto voice of the locker room.
At times, he’d give tasks to his fellow teammates that he expected them to finish in the stipulated time, or the result was going to be nasty, as Devin George unfortunately found out.
“One time, Devin George, you know, we’re on a team, and Shaq had told him to do something. He didn’t do it, and so, usually, he’s like wrap his hand in a towel and punch you till you’d surrender, but this day, we had a game.. And Shaq went in the bathroom and he sh**ed in Devin’s shoes.” Lue hilariously recalled.
It did not end there. O’Neal put the shoe back as it was, and Devin George had zero idea that his shoe had been messed with, so before the game, he was getting ready, and he slipped his foot inside the shoe only to realize what he’d stepped into!
Shannon Sharpe asks what George did after that, and Lue bluntly accepted that there was nothing George could’ve done except be mad. If he had taken any action against the seven-foot giant and Lakers superstar, he would’ve been beaten up or cut from the team.
O’Neal had a history of taking his pranks to the next level. Former players and trainers have narrated numerous stories of how wild his pranks eventually got. These two anecdotes from Lue sum up the diverse range in O’Neal’s personality, which made him one of the most famous and successful basketball players in history.
