During his NBA career, Shaquille O’Neal was not just known for his size but also for his unique approach to defense. Standing as one of the largest players in league history, Shaq’s strategy involved using his physicality to his advantage.
Over his career, Shaq averaged 3.4 personal fouls per game. Interestingly, referees seemed to accept that because of his size, Shaq could endure more contact without drawing fouls himself. This understanding shaped how opponents played against him, and it worked to his advantage defensively.
During a discussion on his show Gil’s Arena, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas spoke about Shaq’s wild fouling saga. Arenas highlighted how Shaq’s fouling strategy helped him stay effective on defense.
“Most of the high-level players in the NBA are guards. You can keep them at bay if you start laying wood on people… Ja [Morant] would have never tried that on someone like Shaq,” Arenas said.
“You have to jump over all of this (gestures) instead of, like, straight up. He’s gonna – Boom! Shaq’s very first foul was so hard that you’re like, ‘Ooh, I don’t want to feel that.’ Now, whoever is guarding me, you have a better chance of stopping me because I want to shoot jumpers now until he’s out of the game,” he added.
Shaquille O’Neal Reflects on Coaching Styles of Phil Jackson and Pat Riley
O’Neal, a four-time NBA champion, knows a thing or two about winning under pressure. He clinched his first three titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while playing for legendary coach Phil Jackson. Later, he secured a fourth championship with the Miami Heat under Pat Riley’s guidance.
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During a recent appearance on The OGs Podcast, Shaq shared his insights into Jackson’s and Riley’s coaching styles. He described the contrasting leadership approaches that helped him win his NBA titles.
“I actually did my dissertation on this duality of leadership styles between humorous and seriousness. Pat was serious. All the way serious. And what I realized when I was doing my research is, you can’t be 100% one way. So I’m going to give Pat 90/10, 90% serious and 10% humorous. Phil Jackson was probably about 70/30, 70% humorous and 30% serious,” Shaq said.
“Both styles can be effective, but I think in the long run, if you have a little bit more humor, you can get more done. Pat was serious; after that first year we won, as I was celebrating, he was sitting there not letting us out early, saying you better get back here and get to the gym,” he added.
Following his NBA career, Rudy Gobert’s famous critic became a sports analyst on the television program “Inside the NBA.” However, this season may be his final one on the show, as TNT has lost its copyright deal.
