Shaquille O’Neal Reveals Iconic Advice From Legendary Lakers Coach Phil Jackson: “I’m Not Gonna to Baby You! You Know What You Gotta Do!”

Knowledge and advice are some of the ingredients that the legends of a sport pass down to those that come after them, and this is true for any sport. One such piece of advice was revealed by Shaquille O’Neal during the latest episode of ‘The Big Podcast With Shaq.’

Following the loss in the NFL wildcard round to the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention. This led to one of the topics of debate on the podcast – Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy.

Podcast host Nischelle Turner blamed the Cowboys’ coach for just standing idle without calling plays, and it was at this moment when Shaq intervened and spoke about advice he received as a player when Phil Jackson was his coach.

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Phil Jackson’s advice for Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq touched on the advice he received from his favourite coach in the world – Phil Jackson, to indicate why coach McCarthy was not to be blamed for the Cowboys’ loss.

“First of all, stop it. I learnt from the great Phil Jackson – you gotta get it done, okay,” said Shaq. My favourite coach in the world, he always used to say ‘I’m not gonna baby you! You know what you got to do! Shaq, you ain’t playin’, Shaq you not dunkin’ enough. Coach, I got 4 people on me! I don’t wanna hear that s*** Shaq. Go up strong, bend your knees, make your free throws’,” explained Shaq.

“It’s not about the coach, it’s about the players. Coaches are there to prepare you, let you know what the other team is going to do. But you, as an individual, got to go out and play,” he added.

He further elaborated by saying that if a player needs a coach for motivation while playing at home, then that player isn’t ready to play at all in the first place.

This moment, like several others, is yet another example of significant pieces of advice that inspire players to become better. And who better than a legend like Phil Jackson giving you advice?

Shaquille O’Neal’s numbers under Coach Jackson

Shaq was obviously inspired by coach Jackson’s words as he dominated the league when playing for the Lakers. The duo even accomplished a three-peat together.

Averaging 27.1 points a game along with nearly 13 rebounds and 3 blocks just exemplifies Shaq’s dominance over the league. Moreover, he would lead the league in scoring and earn the MVP award during Coach Jackson’s first year.

Clearly, the advice that the ‘Big Aristotle’ received earned him plenty of success. Let us know your favourite Shaq moments in the comments below.

READ MORE: Emotional Shaquille O’Neal on Dealing With Ugly Criticism as an NBA Player: “When I Was 22-23, I Tried to Answer Everybody’s Criticism. And I Realized It’s More Than a Full Time Job”