Did Deion Sanders just receive the highest honor a coach can ever receive? According to NBA buffs, it’s definitely a yes. The Colorado head coach continues to be headlined for his heroics during the Buffaloes’ third game of the ongoing NCAA tournament. In a battle between two Colorado units, Sanders and his men took the game in a doubt overtime edge-of-the-seat thriller. So, reasonably, many continue to give the 57-year-old his flowers. Yet, nothing can beat the hefty praise from Shaquille O’Neal.

O’Neal compared Coach Prime to a 13x NBA Champion, a man Shaq succeeded under, one of the greatest coaches ever.

Deion Sanders receives Hall of Fame comparison from Shaq

Coach Prime and his men were down 14 points in their game against the Colorado State Rams this Sunday. However, the 56-year-old’s son Shedeur Sanders turned the game around with an impeccable touchdown to go 3-0 in the tournament. The Colorado fans were tensed to watch this nail-biting game, but Coach Prime was just calm as he stood in the side. 

This calmness reminded Shaquille O’Neal of someone who he has worked with. Phil Jackson, his Los Angeles Lakers head coach from the Kobe-Shaq era.

The New York Knicks drafted Phil Jackson with the 47th pick in the 1967 NBA Draft. During his 12 season career as a power forward, he picked up his first two rings in 1970 and 1973 alongside Walt Frazier. But that was only the beginning.

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The 78 year-old amassed 11 rings as a coach, six with Michael Jordan as his star. The remaining 5 were won during the prime of Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.

The Hall of Fame coach has one of the most decorated resumes in NBA history. So Shaq comparing him to Deion Sanders is quite telling. In a recent interview, the 4-time champion added, “If the general doesn’t panic, the troops don’t panic”, explaining the reason behind the Buffaloes’ success so far. 

Big Diesel shared in an interview that he saw a calmness on Sanders’s face which reminded him of Phil Jackson. 

Shaquille O’Neal believes Phil Jackson is the greatest 

Apart from the fact that Jackson has 13 NBA rings, Jackson has been an example for many. Have you ever seen the 78-year-old get angry? Jackson goes down as the coolest coach in NBA history, which Shaq admires the most. 

Big Diesel revealed, “We saw he[Jackson] didn’t panic, so it taught us not to panic. We know that this guy knows what he’s talking about.” Shaq believes Deion Sanders is cut from the same cloth. After all, he is also a two-time Superbowl winner turned head coach. 

Coach Prime must be proud of this comparison. But only time will tell how his trophy cabinet looks when it’s all said and done.

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