Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most hilarious personalities in mainstream sports media. His fearless humor and habit of pulling off playful pranks on national television have made him an endearing figure in broadcast television. But how is the experience of working with someone like this? Former TNT reporter, Kristen Ledlow recently revealed in an Instagram reel.
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During a segment on NBA TV a few years ago, Kristen Ledlow had one awkward encounter with the big fella, which pretty much summed up her experience working with Shaq. On her Instagram, Shaq’s former TNT colleague posted a hilarious video of her funny experience on the sets of TNT.
The question “When people ask me what it’s like to work with Shaq” appears at the beginning of Ledlow’s video. As the text flashes on the screen, the former TNT employee can be seen shaking her head and then burying it in her arms, implying that it is no easy task to work with the Diesel.
The clip then cuts to a clip from Inside Stuff. In the clip, Shaq is seen hiding his face behind a paper. Apparently, he was unwilling to interact with Ledlow until she called him “Dark Nowitzki”, which is a typical Shaq wordplay on Dallas Mavericks legend, Dirk Nowitzki’s name.
The host found it difficult to refer to Shaq by that name, “I am not saying it, he wants me to use his nickname but I just…”
But the Diesel would’t remove the paper from his face until she called him by his desired nickname. It wasn’t possible to begin the segment like that, so Ledlow inadvertently conceded to Shaq’s demand, stating, “He wants me to introduce him as Dark Nowitzki and I don’t think..”
Shaq then proceeded to high-five her. The former TNT reporter posted the clip on her Instagram recently with the caption, “I have a journalism degree.“
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Ledlow deserves credit for being a good sport about the big man’s rather absurd demand. But this is Shaq’s style of doing things, showcasing his unyielding nature. At any rate, how did Dirk Nowitzki react when he caught a glimpse of Shaq’s little stunt?
When Dirk heard about Dark Nowitzki
In April, Dirk Nowitzki appeared on O’Neal’s The Big Podcast and revealed how he felt when he saw Ledlow’s hilarious interaction with Shaq. During the pod, O’Neal ‘corrected’ co-host Adam Lefkoe when he called him “Shaq”.
The big fella reminded him that he was “Dark Nowitzki”. The former Mavericks superstar cracked up instantly after hearing this nickname. A giddy Nowitzki then recalled how he couldn’t contain his laughter when he first learned about the Shaquesque rendition of his name.
“I was dyin’ laughing when I saw that a while ago I think on NBA TV. So many people sent me that. I was like Shaq is nuts, I mean what do you expect? He’s the best.”
Thus, Shaquille O’Neal once again proved that he is a nickname merchant. He already has an array of nicknames, but Dark Nowitzki stands out in its own way. His penchant for comedy is matched by a few in the sports entertainment industry.
