Although Shaquille O’Neal might be one of the most vibrant players to ever play in the NBA, he has had moments where he lost his cool. There have been times both on and off the court when Shaq almost got into trouble for losing his head.
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Talking about one such instance, he recalls his days in the Orlando Magic. Shaq was the biggest star in the Orlando roster during that time and a teammate asked him to carry his bag. Shaq did not take it lightly, and he gave it back to his teammate.
Shaquille O’Neal talks about why he lost his temper
There is no debate Shaquille O’Neal is one of the greatest players ever. He is widely regarded as the best center to play and has won the NBA title 4 times. Moreover, he has also won the Rookie of the Year award and has been finals MVP thrice.
While Shaq’s best time might have been in the Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic gave him the wings to fly. The Magic drafted a young Shaq who made a name for himself in LSU in the 1992 NBA draft. Taking us back to his Orlando days, Shaq talks about the time he lost his cool in The Big Podcast with Shaq.
He said, “Scott Skiles came one day and said, “Hey, carry my bags”. I said I’m no rookie, I’m a franchise player. I told him to his face. Anybody thinking about making me carry their bags, you better shut your mouth, or part two of my killing spree gonna happen here upon your a**.”
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Interestingly enough, this is not the first time the two have had a feud. Skiles and O’Neal once had a famous feud that made headlines all around the world.
Scott Skiles and Shaq’s relationship
When the two played for the Orlando Magic in the early 1990s, they got into the news for all the wrong reasons. It was reported that Skiles and O’Neal almost hit each other during training. During an appearance on a radio show, Shaq talked about this incident.
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According to him, Skiles tried to hit him but Shaq’s reflexes didn’t allow him to connect. Shaq said, “Yes, the little son … son of a gun charged me and took a swing. But my Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson reflexes didn’t allow him to connect. But, yes, it’s true.”
Despite being in his initial years in the NBA, O’Neal talked about how he wasn’t scared of Skiles. Interestingly enough, Skiles landed the job of the Orlando Magic in 2016 after coaching teams like the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks.
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What is your favorite memory of Shaquille O’Neal? Let us know in the comments below.