“I wake up, and I see this big-a** hand on my chest" - Shaquille O'Neal recalls inspiring incident involving Dr J from his LSU days
Shaquille O'Neal has recalled an incident involving Julius Irving during his LSU days.
O'Neal is considered the most physically dominating big man the game has ever seen. He won four NBA championships, three times with the LA Lakers and once with the Miami Heat. Before getting drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992, he played three years for the LSU Tigers.
In an article by Jackie MacMullan of The Ringer, the four-time NBA champion shared a story about LSU when he met Julius Erving. O'Neal noted that once "Dr. J" went to his dorm room and woke him up after he had missed a class.
"So one day, I'm in my sophomore year, and I miss class on purpose because I'm like, 'I'm an All-American, if anything happens, I'll just go pro. I'm starting to get arrogant," O'Neal said.
Dr. J was caught in the midst of the Magic vs. Larry phenomenon, but he still beat them both during his climb to the top. And even Magic and Larry learned from the Doctor as they began their own ascent. https://t.co/v7syfUdJXA
"I wake up, and I see this big-a** hand on my chest. And it's really Dr. J. And I actually thought I was dead, for real," O'Neal said. "And then when I came to, he said, 'Coach Brown said meet on the track right now.' And I was like, 'Oh, sh**, I missed class,'" he added.
Julius Erving and former longtime LSU coach Dale Brown went on to give Shaquille O'Neal a lesson. They made him run laps till he was unable to do so. The young O'Neal tried his best not to disappoint Erving, who was one of his basketball idols.
Shaquille O'Neal and Julius Erving went on to become close friends when the former was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992. O'Neal even sought advice from "Dr. J" before signing a long-term contract with the LA Lakers in 1996.
"I was like, 'Doc, I need your advice.' And he said, 'Brother, do what's best for you.' And you know, he was the last guy that I talked to before I made the decision about leaving Orlando," O'Neal said.
Shaquille O'Neal believes Julius Erving is the GOAT
The debate on who is the greatest of all time always largely involves Michael Jordan and LeBron James. However, Shaquille O'Neal has a different take on the GOAT debate, calling it a matter of opinion. He thinks the greatest of all time is Julius Erving.
"It's a matter of opinion. To me, Dr. J was the greatest player ever. But I ask other people, they say Jordan, some say Kobe, some people say LeBron. It's always going to be a matter of opinion," O'Neal said.
Erving is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He played half of his career in the ABA before playing in the NBA from 1976 to 1987. "Dr. J" went on to become the league MVP in 1981 and won his lone NBA championship in 1983.