Former Lakers superstar wants to coach the team – with one caveat
Shaquille O’Neal, one of the greatest players in Los Angeles Lakers history, and perhaps the big dominant big man in NBA history – says he’s interested in the team’s head coaching job.
Yes, he has never even come close to being a head coach, but he reportedly is credited with helping one of L.A.’s best players.
When L.A. played the Orlando Magic during the regular season, the legendary center happened to be sitting courtside, and he talked to Russell Westbrook about making some tweaks to his game.
Westbrook, who was reportedly hard to instruct and didn’t seem to get along with head coach Frank Vogel, seemed receptive to O’Neal’s advice.
"I don't like to see people come at my man Russ like that."@SHAQ talks about his courtside conversation with Russell Westbrook at the Lakers-Magic game pic.twitter.com/reJSqESpJa
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 26, 2022
“It was just talking about changing speeds and different things,” Westbrook said. “When somebody like Shaq is seeing and watching the game, I’m always big on listening to my elders and listening to the ones that were before me. Shaq was giving me some good advice about changing speeds at different times coming up the floor, which was very helpful not just in that game but as I watch myself moving forward and trying to continue doing that the rest of the year.”
However, O’Neal said on his podcast “The Big Podcast With Shaq” that he would have a very steep asking price to become L.A.’s next head coach.
It’s pretty safe to say that the chances of the Lakers hiring O’Neal are slim to none.
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