Shaquille O'Neal and Candace Parker surprise No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes after they win against No. 1 LSU
Shaquille O'Neal and Candace Parker are well-known for being excellent co-hosts on TNT's "NBA on TNT" due to their cheerful banter and great chemistry. With the great careers they have made for themselves, the two are now considered NBA and WNBA legends.
Speaking of greatness, last night, the No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes pulled off an incredible upset victory over the No. 1 LSU team, which sure enough resulted in a surprise locker room visit from O'Neal and Parker. The wholesome moment was uploaded on social media by Colorado Women's Basketball's X account.
The interaction between the two basketball legends and the Colorado Buffaloes' locker room was a great showcase of sportsmanship and appreciation for young winners competing at a high level. For the young group of players at the University of Colorado Boulder, that moment is something that they will carry with them as they continue to strengthen their basketball careers.
Interestingly, Shaquille O'Neal played his collegiate career at LSU, where he was already an incredible talent at that stage. Meanwhile, Candace Parker played for the University of Tennessee before landing in the WNBA.
Candace Parker talks about working with Shaquille O'Neal and the rest of the "NBA on TNT" crew
Back in 2018, WNBA legend Candace Parker started doing commentary work for TNT and later became an analyst for "NBA on TNT." Additionally, she signed a multi-year extension deal with Turner Sports to continue being an analyst and commentator for "NBA on TNT," "NBA TV," and the NCAA Tournament.
During her moments on air, there are times when she has friendly back-and-forths with Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal. In an interview with Insider's Meredith Cash, Parker mentioned that her strong relationship with her brothers helped prepare her to work on "NBA on TNT."
"I grew up doing that," Parker said. "All my brothers and I have ever done from the time I was born is make fun of each other. You had to be extremely humble in the Parker household, otherwise we would humble you."
Parker spoke of the "family-like" atmosphere present with the rest of the TNT crew, in addition to her dynamic bond with Shaquille O'Neal.
"We all have this family-like atmosphere there," Parker added. "My agents get mad at me because I'm like, 'I can't believe they paid me to talk about basketball.' It really is the second-best job -- the number one job being playing basketball. But it is the second-best job in the world."
Considering that basketball greats are sharing the room and discussing the sport itself, it is always a great sight to watch these individuals give their takes on basketball.