"Took his blueprint & Shaqtified it" - Shaquille O'Neal reveals his NBA mentor, dodging question on lack of advice requests
During his guest appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Shaquille O'Neal shared which NBA player he took inspiration from. The former NFL Pro Bowler and the ex-NBA champion were talking about the younger generation, specifically how none of the younger players have apparently asked Shaq for advice.
Before this, McAfee shared that he was never shy when it came to asking veterans questions. He specifically listed kicker Adam Vinatieri and quarterback Peyton Manning as the vets he had spoken with.
In his response, Shaq spoke about his own experience.
"I don't want to answer. I got all this from Magic Johnson," Shaq said. "I saw Magic Johnson one day and he tells me, 'It's okay to be famous but you gotta start owning things.'"
Shaquille O'Neal then shared how he watched Magic do things after hearing his advice to help him understand the meaning of his advice. Afterward, Shaq added his personal twist to how Magic did things.
"I just, you know, took his blueprint and Shaqtified it and here we are," Shaq added. "But I don't wanna answer for the new generation even though they are different. The way they think is very, very different, but you know, it's understandable, it happens."
Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson both played for the LA Lakers, albeit in different eras. Johnson played mostly in the 1980s while Shaq joined the Lakers before the 1996-97 season.
Shaquille O'Neal shares when he knew Kobe Bryant was a special player
Aside from talking about Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal also talked about another Lakers legend with Pat McAfee, Kobe Bryant. Kobe and Shaq teamed up and while their tandem had its share of problems, they succeeded in winning three straight championships from 2000-2002.
McAfee asked Shaq when he knew that Kobe was a special player, to which Shaq responded by saying, "Right away." Shaq said he knew that Kobe had his eyes set on becoming great, citing Kobe's passion and tendency to speak up when he felt something wasn't being done correctly.
Shaq and Kobe's pairing didn't last long, though. They had begun feuding even while they were winning. Eventually, Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat and it is widely believed that it was due to the beef between him and Kobe.
The two would eventually reconcile, with Kobe Bryant even making a guest appearance in Shaquille O'Neal's podcast. Shaq also interviewed Kobe ahead of his final NBA game.