Amid Scarring Teammates With Naked Body and More, Shaquille O’Neal Emerged as Saving Grace for NBA Star Turned Coach in 2001

Being a teammate of the unpredictable Shaquille O’Neal means being on the receiving end of his wrath, humor, and generosity. The last one is not talked about enough. But one of his teammates from the Los Angeles Lakers is fixing that. This player had a short stint in the NBA and won a championship in the Lakers dynasty. In that short time, he formed a memorable friendship with O’Neal.

Shaq is a big spender. When he’s not splurging on cars and homes, he’s spending on his friends. Mike Penberthy, a former Laker, recalls Big Diesel’s big-heartedness.

Former Laker reveals Shaquille O’Neal’s kindness

Mike Penberthy is on the coaching staff of the Lakers now. In the past, he won a championship with them. The Kobe-Shaq Lakers Dynasty was memorable for its off-court shenanigans too. A big part of it was because of Shaquille O’Neal. When he was not terrorizing his teammates with pranks, O’Neal was showering them with gifts.

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Penberthy shared stories of Shaq’s generosity in Jeff Pearlman’s book, Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty. He referred to O’Neal as the “big brother with a huge bank account.” Despite being with the team for only two seasons, Penberthy was overwhelmed by his gesture.

The first incident was when he made his Lakers debut in 2000. He arrived in a Banana Republic suit jacket, which would stand out in a bad way among the rest of the team. That’s when O’Neal pulled him aside and asked him, “You don’t have any suits, do you?” Penberthy’s answer was in the negative. So Shaq took him to his personal tailor the next day and bought him six new suits.

The next year, he’d share the glory of the 2001 championship title with O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and the rest of the team. After that, he’d play in international leagues and became the German Cup champion in 2006.

After retiring in 2012, he switched to coaching. He was the assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2018 to 2019. He returned to the Lakers as an assistant coach from 2019 to 2022.

‘Big Diesel,’ the prankster with a big heart

When Shaq’s teammates recall his time with the Lakers, their heads are probably smart from pain. Some of his former teammates are still traumatized from O’Neal’s ‘bare’ prank.

Kenny Smith walked in on the 7’1′ giant on an exercise bike “b**t naked.” Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson also recalls with hilarity that Shaq would walk into practice with nothing but shoes on and try to hug his teammates.

Not sure if Penberthy got a naked Shaq bearhug. But he experienced his kindness more than once. After paying for his wardrobe, O’Neal contacted him when his father passed away.

“When my father died, Shaq offered to pay for the funeral.” He’s even seen teammate Mark Madsen get new clothes and a car from O’Neal. As Penberthy said about O’Neal, “He’s that type of guy.” Truly, no truer words have been spoken.

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