"I learned that sage is the cousin of w**d" - Shaquille O'Neal jokes about what he learned from Phil Jackson that he applies in business
Shaquille O'Neal joked about the lessons he learned from Phil Jackson that he applies in business. Jackson coached O'Neal and Kobe Bryant with the LA Lakers, winning three championships from 2000 to 2002.
The Hall of Fame center was in Australia recently for a variety of seminars and appearances. O'Neal was a guest on "The Be Better Off Show" with Brett Kelly, who asked him about the lessons he learned from Jackson. He had a hilarious answer regarding Jackson's use of sage, but also provided a serious one.
"I learned that sage is the cousin of w**d," O'Neal said. "He would come in every day and we'd do this chants. The room would get you high. But he taught us about, not only muscle memory, but mental memory. We would do the same thing every day."
Phil Jackson is nicknamed "The Zen Master" for his uncanny way of coaching and his use of incense during meetings and film sessions. Before revealing that it was sage, O'Neal suspected that it was marijuana. He wasn't the only player who thought Jackson was burning something else.
In an appearance on ESPN's "The Jump" in 2018, former Chicago Bulls player and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr told a story about Jackson. Kerr said that Jackson would use incense with sage whenever the Bulls were on a losing streak.
"We had a lot of film sessions," Kerr said. "Phil was very unique, in that he had very intense interest in Native American history. Where he grew up in South Dakota was near to some Indian reservations.
"So I remember when we would lose a couple of games he'd burn incense in our film room to try to get rid of bad spirits. Burn the sage. We were wondering if maybe he was burning something else too. I don't know."
Shaquille O'Neal moved to Texas for his business expansion
Shaquille O'Neal spent the majority of his teenage years in San Antonio, Texas. But since getting drafted into the NBA, Shaq has had several addresses. He has been to Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston. After retirement, O'Neal has had homes in Atlanta and Las Vegas.
According to The Dallas Morning News, O'Neal bought a mansion in Dallas to oversee the expansion of his Big Chicken restaurant in Texas. Around 50-plus branches will open in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The company's ultimate goal is to open more than 150 restaurants across the United States.
O'Neal earned around $286 million in 19 seasons with the NBA. However, his net worth is reportedly around $400 million due to several successful partnerships and ventures. He's also employed by TNT as a studio analyst, while DJing in his free time.
In addition to his restaurants, Shaquille O'Neal also owns hundreds of car washes, around 40 gyms and a movie theater. The four-time champ has sponsorship deals with Burger King, Comcast, Icy Hot, Pepsi, Radio Shack, Reebok, Taco Bell, VitaminWater and more.