SHAQ TALKS ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE HE RECEIVED FROM MAGIC JOHNSON: "IT'S OK TO BE FAMOUS, BUT YOU BETTER START OWNING THINGS"
Back in the day, when the NBA wasn’t all about raining 3-pointers, big men ruled the court. When the league introduced the three-point line in the 1979-80 season, teams only took an average of 2.4 shots from beyond the arc per game, whereas this season, Steph Curry alone averaged 11.8 threes per game.
Unlike when players like Shaquille O’Neal—standing at 7’1” and weighing over 325 pounds—dominated the association, 7-footers have evolved exponentially over two decades.
Advice from veterans
O’Neal was the most dominant player in the league, hands down. His presence in the paint was terrifying, and once he got that ball down low, no one could stop him from smashing the rim. He (literally) broke the backboard on several occasions. The league had to change the rules and redesign backboards to make it ‘Shaq-proof.’
However, many younger players view those plays as old school, which has contributed to them not seeking advice from legends like Shaq.
The Hall of Fame big man even weighed in on the current state of the game and talked about how younger players don’t always seek out the wisdom of retired legends. For the four-time champion, he sought wisdom from Magic Johnson, who schooled him on the tricks of the trade.
“I got all this from Magic Johnson,” O’Neal said of receiving advice when he was younger. “I saw Magic Johnson one day, and he tells me it’s okay to be famous, but you better start owning things. And I’m like, ‘What the [expletive] are you talking about?’ And then I will watch him, and… I just took his blueprint and ‘Shaqtified’ it, and here we are.”
Fruitful advice
The NBA moved from an era of dominant players to a new generation where the big question is usually whether those players of the past could “dominate” in today's game. The mentality of players has evolved alongside the game, which is evident in the over 300% increase in stats like 3-pointers in the last four decades — and a huge reason many legends of the past are overlooked when it comes to seeking advice.
“I don’t want to answer for the new generation,” O’Neal continued. “Even though they are different, the way they think is very different, but it’s understandable.”
The very moment that the Orlando Magic went from being a new franchise to one that was suddenly recognized was when it landed the massive center as their first-ever No. 1 pick.
O’Neal completely transformed almost everything about the Magic in a “Shaq-sized” way. However, before the four NBA championships and three Finals MVPs, his authority was challenged by Hakeem Olajuwon. The Houston Rockets legend demolished a young No. 32 and the Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals.
O’Neal didn’t take that defeat as a step-down but instead moved to the Lakers in the post-showtime era, continuing Magic’s legacy in purple and gold.
2024-09-07T11:33:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd