NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal reveals how Phil Jackson guided him during his 1999-00 season and how an ‘idiot’ reporter cost him from being the first-ever unanimous MVP.
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A physical specimen, Shaquille O’Neal was a force to reckon with since his inception in the league. However, the Big Diesel lacked the direction required to win on the big stage. Thus stepped-in Phil Jackson, the architect behind Michael Jordan and the Bulls dynasty.
The Zen Master helped optimize Shaq’s potential, cementing the seven-foot center as one of the most dominant players in NBA history. The four-time champion owes a lot of his success to Jackson, who taught him the true meaning of winning.
During a past interview with Graham Bensinger, Shaq recalled his introduction to Jackson, who guided him to probably his best season in 1999-00. That year, the Lakers center won 3 MVPs and his first-ever championship, forming an all-time duo alongside Kobe Bryant.
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Nonetheless, Shaq is still sour over how a reporter cost him from being the first-ever unanimous league MVP in 2000.
Shaquille O’Neal gets candid on his 1999-00 MVP season.
It was the beginning of a new dynasty in the NBA post-MJ and the Bulls era, with Phil Jackson being the common factor. The LA Lakers were back at the top of the heap, with Shaq having a historic season. The two-time scoring champ was more determined than ever.
The Hall of Famer shed further light on this extraordinary campaign during an interview with Graham Bensinger. When asked about his first meeting with the Zen Master, the Diesel said the following.
“He’s (Phil) like, ‘listen you’re doing good, but no more rapping, no more videos, I need you to concentrate,’ I’m like why.”
“He said, ‘If you listen to me, you can get MVP this year, and we’re gonna win a championship.’ I was like alright, I’m gonna give it a shot, and it actually kind of worked.”
Shaq, who was 29 at the time, averaged 29.7 PPG, 13.6 RPG, and 3.0 BPG, shooting 57.4% from the field. The Lakers won 67-games that season and were no.1 in the standings.
The Diesel believes hadn’t it been for an ‘idiot reporter’ he would have been the first-ever unanimous MVP.
“I wish I could say his name cause I would call him an idiot to his face, he messed up history, I would have been the first-ever unanimous decision MVP.”
When reminded his name was Fred Hickman, Shaq didn’t hesitate to call him an idiot multiple times, saying the following.
“Yeah, Fred Hickman an idiot, gives two votes to Allen Iverson, and he messes up history, idiot.”
Well, whether it be Iverson or Steve Nash, Shaq didn’t have the best fortune when it came to the league MVP.
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