Shaq Says He Can't Remember If He Showed Up Nude To Lakers Practice
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — For Laker fans, Shaquille O'Neal goes by many names - Shaq, The Big Aristotle, and The Diesel to list just a few.
But according to his former coach, you can another to that list: The Big Nudist.
Phil Jackson, who pushed O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to three straight NBA title between 2000-2002, told ESPN O'Neal once "shocked" the team when he showed up to practice wearing nothing but his high tops.
"Well, you know, numbers of times, he could crack a team up with humorous effects on the floor," Jackson said to ESPN's Hannah Storm. "There were times when he shocked us all in a practice situation, especially when he showed up nude with just his shoes on."
Shaq's response to the alleged incident? "I don't remember," he told USA Today.
Perhaps even stranger is that Alvin Gentry, who also coached O'Neal during his stint with the Phoenix Suns, told Sports Illustrated about similar behavior from Shaq.
According to SI.com, the 7'1", 300-pound - and "completely nude" - O'Neal would tackle teammates or coaching staff members in the locker room "every few days or every week or so" for what he liked to call "Brazilian naked wrestling".
Shaq's playing days may be over, but he's still playing the part of prankster: he recently went undercover as a Lyft driver in Atlanta for a YouTube video.