"You don't understand": $500 million worth Shaquille O'Neal gives JJ Redick marketing lessons after cryptic LeBron James mentions
Shaquille O'Neal had multiple LeBron James references ready during his podcast episode on JJ Redick's show, "The Old Man & The Three." While some may think of it as O'Neal teasing Redick about being a reported candidate for the Lakers' head coaching job, the "Big Aristotle" gave a shoutout to Redick and LeBron's podcast, "Mind The Game."
In the upcoming episode of "The Old Man & The Three," O'Neal cryptically mentioned LeBron, which caught Redick's attention. The first mention was when O'Neal cited comedian Deon Cole saying, "LeBron knows him." The TNT analyst then said he wanted to sky-dive, and invited Redick and LeBron to join him.
"Imma f**king sky-dive ... You wanna do it with me? Sky-diving," O'Neal asked Redick. "Me you and LeBron? If y'all f**king do it, I'll do it."
"Alright this is a bit now, this is a bit. The LeBron thing's a bit," Redick replied.
O'Neal then explained to Redick why he referenced LeBron so much, giving the former player-turned-broadcaster a marketing lesson in the process, saying:
"That's [LeBron] your partner ... You look at me as a hater, you don't understand what I'm doing, I'm f**king marketing."
You can catch the entire conversation here (via Lakers lead):
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Shaquille O'Neal has built a fortune worth $500 million. Meanwhile, JJ Redick, who retired a few years ago, is finding his footing as an entrepreneur. He's on ESPN's 'A' team of broadcasters while he continues working on two podcasts, including the one with LeBron James.
Amid his exploits with ESPN, Redick's podcast with LeBron has turned out to be arguably his most prominent venture. The duo hosts a one-of-a-kind podcast solely based on technical deep dives of the game.
JJ Redick to coach LeBron James and LA Lakers next year?
LeBron James and the LA Lakers faced early elimination from the 2024 NBA Playoffs. It wasn't expected to be the case, but the Lakers were up against the defending champions Denver Nuggets, who had their number going into the series. Denver had won eight straight, including last year's 4-0 result in the Western Conference Finals.
Amid the Lakers' struggles in the playoffs and throughout the season, coach Darvin Ham faced most of the brunt for his decisions. According to numerous reports, Ham's days are numbered as the team's head coach. LeBron James' podcast partner JJ Redick has emerged as one of the legitimate candidates for the job.
JJ Redick is reportedly also coveted by the Charlotte Hornets. However, the noise around the Lakers' job is increasing, especially with Redick's links to LeBron. It's also the more lucrative job than the Hornets' opening, giving Redick an unprecedented start in his potential coaching career if the rumors are true and he ends up in LA.