"I'm not a rookie, I'm the franchise" - Shaquille O'Neal explains why he never got hazed as a rookie with the Orlando Magic
Shaquille O'Neal started his career with the Orlando Magic. Part of NBA culture is to haze rookies, but O'Neal never allowed his teammates to treat him badly. He has a very simple explanation as to why he didn't get hazed as a rookie with the Magic.
In an appearance on the "Drink Champs" podcast, O'Neal was asked about his first year in the league. The Hall of Fame center talked about how veterans such as Scott Skiles tried to haze him as a rookie. He let the vets know that he wasn't a typical first-year player.
"I didn't get hazed," O'Neal said. "Shoutout to Scott Skiles, he's like, 'Carry my bags, rook.' I'm like, 'I'm not a rookie, I'm the franchise.' ... These guys said, 'Hey, man. Just carry the bags because we just played.' I'll play the game with you, but I ain't carrying.
"I'm not no bad character, because my thing is, make me carry your bags. You whip my a**, I'll carry your bags. I'm the big guy with the big guy mentality. I know you could probably fight, but in my mind, I'm not gonna let no little guy make me."
Shaquille O'Neal was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992. O'Neal averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in his first season en route to winning Rookie of the Year. He was also voted as an All-Star during his rookie season.
Some of the veterans on the team included Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson, Scott Skiles and Steve Kerr. Despite never letting anyone haze him, Shaq didn't always get his way. Terry Catledge refused to give up the No. 33 jersey, forcing O'Neal to wear No. 32.
Legendary Shaquille O'Neal hazing story
Shaquille O'Neal never experienced hazing, but he sure doled it out to his rookies. Former LA Lakers teammate Tyronn Lue told the story of how O'Neal hazed Devean George in the 1999-00 season.
In an appearance on the "Knuckleheads" podcast with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles, Lue said that Shaq defecated on George's shoe. It was a punishment for forgetting to buy the team donuts.
"Devean George went and worked out on the court and came back," Lue said. "He was getting taped or whatever. Shaq goes in the bathroom, takes his shoe in there, and he sh*ts in his shoe. Devean George comes in and gets ready for the game, puts his shoe on. I mean, his foot slides right in."
Shaq hazed a lot of rookies during his career and only two players withstood his hazing. He confessed in an episode of "Inside the NBA" that Kobe Bryant and Goran Dragic were very tough people. They were so tough that O'Neal stopped hazing them.