When Shaquille O'Neal hit ostentatious free throw as he was stunned by Halle Berry's charm: "She's the only woman that makes my stuttering come back"
Shaquille O'Neal became a household name in the NBA as soon as he was drafted by the Orlando Magic. But his stint with the LA Lakers was even more iconic as the dominant big man became the bright light of the city.
Playing for the Lakers is something most basketball players can only dream of. O'Neal became a Hollywood star during his time in Los Angeles as he was associated with some of the biggest stars. During a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square, however, Shaq was shaken up by what he saw.
In an interview with Kelly Clarkson on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Shaq shared his experience with the Hollywood beauty. As he was at the free-throw line, he saw famed actress Halle Berry walk down the stairs.
"My heart started fluttering. I get nervous. I call a time out," O'Neal recalled. "Coach said, 'What are you doing?!' I said, 'Shut up, Halle Berry is here to watch me. Nobody shoots. Make sure I get the ball.' And guess what? I actually made the free throw. I made the free throw, I was looking at Halle like (winks).
"So, when I was young, I used to stutter. She's the only woman that makes my stuttering come back."
O'Neal even shared his experience playing in front of the biggest stars.
"I wanted to give the superstars the same enjoyment that they gave me," he said. "Like, when I walk into the game and I see Denzel (Washington) and Jack Nicholson, like, when I'm at home watching the Netflix, they give me so much enjoyment.
"So, I would always say, 'OK, they're here to watch me and Kobe (Bryant) win the championship. I gotta make sure I always play well.'"
The stars definitely helped Shaq and the Lakers win three consecutive championships at their height.
Also read: Shaquille O'Neal shares LA Lakers legends tier list, divides fans immediately: "LeBron and Davis shouldn't be on the list", "Karim needs to be tier 1"
A Shaquille O'Neal prank has been revealed as false
Shaquille O'Neal loves to prank people when he gets a chance. Back in his playing days, there were rumors about him defecating on Devean George's shoe. The story was told by LA Clippers coach Ty Lue. He shared that George forgot to bring donuts to practice once, and O'Neal said he'll get him back for it.
TMZ Sports had an opportunity to confirm this story when they asked George about it.
"Hell, no, that's a lie. That's crap," George said. "And I know T-Lue started that, and it never happened. I think he did that to someone in Orlando. I don't remember the dude's name, but he did that in Orlando. But he never took a sh*t in my shoes.
"Shaq had nothing but love for us, to be honest. He's a big Santa Claus, but he always hid stuff, took stuff, pranks, made us do his errands. Shaq was Shaq, but in all, he was a great teammate. He's a good guy. I love him."
Shaquille O'Neal may love pranks, but it looks like he didn't take it that far.
Also read: Devean George debunks Shaquille O'Neal prank story told by Ty Lue: "He never took a sh*t in my shoes"