Shaquille O’Neal had already established himself as one of the nation’s top college recruits before entering the NBA. Given that the LSU center was talented, many pondered if he would’ve had the same success had he chosen to go elsewhere. However, no one knew the reason behind O’Neal joining the LSU. Interestingly, O’Neal shed some light on this topic recently.
O’Neal appeared on his former teammate’s The OGs podcast. He spoke with Udonis Haslem about how his love for a lady influenced his choice to commit to LSU, where he had one of his best successful collegiate basketball careers.
It was one girl named Madison… She was so goddamn fine… She was a senior, she was 24. I was like, ‘damn, you’re so beautiful’. And she’s like, ‘yeah, you come here. I’ll tutor you’. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do with you’. Madison, if you’re watching this, I love you
Shaquille O’Neal said on The OGs podcast
O’Neal spent three years at LSU playing ninety games. Every year, he continued to outperform himself on the floor. Starting with an average of 13.9 points in his first year, O’Neal went on to average 27.6 the following year. He was unstoppable right from the beginning of his basketball career.
Shaquille O’Neal joked about getting ‘paid’ by LSU
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most successful players in the NBA. This success came from his time at LSU, where he developed into a proper star. Notably, O’Neal once revealed at a question-and-answer session at the annual Los Angeles Lakers “All-Access” event that LSU paid him ‘really very well.’
Yes they paid me very well (draws laughter). Statute of limitations is up. I can talk about it. They paid me very well. That’s right baby LSU.
Shaquille O’Neal said (via Los Angeles Daily News site)
May 10, 1992: Shaquille O’Neal of Louisiana State University breaks a backboard at Sports Club Los Angeles while playing one-on-one with NBC’s Ahmad Rashad for “NBA Inside Stuff.”
45 days later, O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 1st overall pick in the NBA draft. pic.twitter.com/5UcfkFSSzM
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) May 10, 2024
However, O’Neal cleared the air by stating that he was just joking. He said that the event had got a little boring so he wanted to cheer the people up.
It’s important to note that, O’Neal is one of only four LSU basketball players to have his number retired. This showcases the respect and admiration he gained while playing basketball for over 15 years in college and NBA combined. Additionally, O’Neal went on to win 4 NBA titles in his career and etched his name as one of the legends of the sport.
