When Shaquille O'Neal was left fuming after being ranked behind Jack Sikma & Dwight Howard on all-time centers list as a prank
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the biggest and most notorious pranksters around. His extremely popular “Shaqtin-a-Fool” segment on TNT never fails to energize and cause hilarity for fans of the "Inside the NBA" show.
Shaq, however, got a dose of his own medicine last year when the hosts of Inside the NBA pulled a prank on him. O’Neal, upon realizing he had been played, hilariously remarked:
“I’m about to tear the set up!”
“I’m about to tear the set up!” 🤣😭
Never forget when the TNT crew got @SHAQ with this iconic April Fool’s Day prank.
https://t.co/ido19m6x6E
The Hall of Fame center made his comments while shadowboxing before showing off his kicks to his co-hosts.
The TNT crew, on April Fools’ Day, produced a video of a report supposedly compiled by Bleacher Report. On the list were the top 10 centers in the history of the NBA.
Topping that make-believe ranking was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, followed by Bill Russell and then Wilt Chamberlain.
When David Robinson came fourth and Hakeem Olajuwon was chosen fifth, Isiah Thomas yelled:
“Wait, somebody’s missing. Who put this list together!?”
More hilarity ensued when the next names came into focus. Alonzo Mourning was sixth, followed by Jack Sikma and then Shaquille O'Neal’s heated rival Dwight Howard, who was dunking with a Superman cape.
O’Neal, who was shown playfully hugging a seal, mercifully came in at nine. Brad Miller, who Shaq nearly knocked out with a haymaker during their infamous fight, rounded off the top 10 list.
The loud and expressive O’Neal was unusually silent when the ranking was revealed. His co-hosts, on the other hand, couldn’t stop themselves from laughing and ribbing the three-time NBA Finals MVP.
Only when the 'April Fools Day' message was revealed did Shaquille O'Neal laugh. The NBA on TNT crew carefully documented O’Neal’s reaction as the list came out and then showed it to cap off the prank.
Shaquille O'Neal is undoubtedly one of the best centers in the history of the NBA
Shaquille O'Neal is without doubt right there with Wilt Chamberlain as one of the most dominant centers in NBA history. He is also considered to be one of the best to ever roam the painted area.
Shaq’s numbers are beyond approach, particularly during his prime years. He was a three-time NBA Finals MVP who carried the LA Lakers to a grand slam in the early 2000s.
Shaquille O'Neal played 30 games in the NBA Finals and averaged 28.8 points, 13.1 rebounds,3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks. He won three titles with the Lakers before helping the Miami Heat to their first-ever franchise Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The most dominant force our league has ever seen, Shaquille O'Neal https://t.co/V9GYEhQhlq
Depending on one’s preference, an argument could easily be made for Shaq to be one of the top three centers in NBA history.
You may also like to read: "I never wanted to be the best ever" - Shaquille O'Neal reveals he prefers "most dominant" title over others, mentions there are only "one or two people" in that category