#AmexNBA Phil talking about the time Shaq showed up naked at practice. pic.twitter.com/DWOwnHyl2H
— Dime Magazine (@DimeMag) June 7, 2016
Regarding basketball history, Shaquille O’Neal is the biggest personality of them all. Even in retirement, as a TNT analyst, he can be seen flipping over a couch wrestling Charles Barkley backstage, or engaging in antics that result in him being thrown into an on-set Christmas tree. He’s larger than life, and his demeanor mirrors that sentiment.
So, it should come as a surprise to very few that one day, during his playing career, Shaq showed up to practice completely naked. During an American Express Q&A dubbed “Teamed UP,” during which Shaq and his former coach, Phil Jackson, with whom the big man won three NBA titles, to answer questions about their heyday.
Jackson, currently the President (and future coach?) of the New York Knicks, told of a particularly interesting time of Shaq’s career, when the 4-time NBA champ–he won a ring in Miami after leaving the Lakers in 2005–would sometimes show up to practice wearing nothing but sneakers.
Well, you know, [a] number of times, he could crack a team up with humorous effects on the floor. There were times when he shocked us all in a practice situation, especially when showed up nude with just his shoes on.
It’s been an eventful day for the skeletons in Shaq’s closet. After Sunday’s NBA Finals Game 2, Andrew Bogut reminded NBA TV viewers that there are a few ladies in Australia that will never forget the Hall of Famer. Watch a clip of the hilarious revelation above.
