“Shaquille O’Neal, You’re My Mom’s Favorite Player”: Heat Star, Gabe Vincent, Gets His Mother A Shoutout From Lakers Legend

Advait Jajodia | 05/06/2023
"Shaquille O'Neal, You're My Mom's Favorite Player": Heat Star, Gabe Vincent, Gets His Mother A Shoutout From The Lakers Legend

The Miami Heat spoiled the Nuggets’ perfect home record in the playoff by grabbing a Game 2 win. While the likes of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson had heroic performances to help erase the 15-point deficit, it was Gabe Vincent who was instrumental for the Heat. Dropping a team-high 23 points on an exceptional 66.7/66.7/100 shooting split, Vincent’s outstanding performance resulted in him getting a postgame interview with the NBA TV crew. During the conversation with the panel, Gabe revealed that Shaquille O’Neal was his mother’s favorite player.

While Gabe had a game-winning display, he went viral on social media for his postgame comments on the Miami Heat squad. When asked about his opinions on the Eastern Conference Champs not getting the respect they truly deserve, the undrafted guard had an impressive reply. Stating that the team couldn’t give a “damn”, Gabe further said that the focus was merely on the 4 wins.

Before leaving, the 6-foot-3 PG had a wholesome conversation with the Big Aristotle.

“You are my mom’s favorite player”: Gabe Vincent to Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq was a dominant player. While he was one of the most decorated stars during his playing days, his off-court antics also made him a favorite among fans. Gabe Vincent’s mother joins millions from around the world who call the 7-foot-1-inch big man their favorite player.

As Vincent revealed this to Diesel, the legend obliged him by giving his mother a shoutout.

Gabe: “Shaq, you was (were) my mom’s favorite player man. She’s trying to say hello.”

Shaq: “Hey Mom!”

Clearly, Hall-Of-Famers Grant Hill and Charles Barkley were not amused after getting snubbed there!

Shaq and Chuck can finally enjoy their vacation

We saw the last of the TNT broadcast with the conclusion of the Heat-Celtics ECF. However, Shaq and Charles had to postpone their vacation as NBA TV asked them to join the panel for the first 2 games of the finals.

With the NBA TV postgame coming to an end, the crew had a special going-away gift for the Inside the NBA stars.

Having their own vacation countdown on the broadcast, O’Neal and Barkley were sent off with Hawaiian garlands.

While we enjoyed the duo being on the broadcast and making our finals experience much better, we will miss them going forward as the series gets more interesting.

Post Edited By: Jeet Pukhrambam
Charles Barkley Gabe Vincent NBA Shaquille O'Neal

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Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

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