Shaquille O’Neal was one of the best big men to ever step on an NBA court, but he wasn’t known for being the best teammate. The Hall of Famer has a track record of playing some pretty disgusting, often bordering on illegal, pranks on his teammates throughout his career. While he’s learned to calm down since then, he was still engaging in his same old antics even as a veteran with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009-10.
Advertisement
While most of Shaq’s hazing antics were more playful than harmful, a few became infamous over time, especially during his early years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq reportedly had a habit of initiating rookies by physically throwing them into the cold tub after practice. This became something of a ritual during his Lakers days.
One of Shaq’s most disturbing and widely reported hazing pranks was defecating in a rookie’s shoe, which became legendary in NBA folklore for its sheer gross-out factor. Arguably even more disgusting, Shaq’s former teammate, Gary Payton, shared that the O’Neal would pee in a bucket for weeks before dumping it on unsuspecting teammates. Legally speaking, this is assault.
Shaq’s hazing rituals had already become infamous by the time Danny Green entered the league. But as an unheralded rookie playing alongside O’Neal during his lone season in Cleveland, it wasn’t pretty for the three-time champion. “I was the only rookie on the team, too,” Green said on All the Smoke, sharing that the team’s only other rookie was kept overseas.
“He apologizes to this day for how he was,” Green said of the Lakers legend on All the Smoke. “I accept … It was a lot of sh*t. [Shaq] had me pledging and sh*t like that. But it was cool, man. I think your first year in the league is just like a culture shock … It’s like a starstruck moment.”
The 37-year-old didn’t have a problem with how he was treated as a rookie, though. He was so focused on learning from the veterans on the team, including Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejao, and of course, LeBron James, who was still a young player himself at the time.
Green didn’t dive into anything too crazy when discussing Shaq’s hazing, but he wasn’t void of hilarious stories from his rookie campaign. “So I had to get the donuts by myself. And at the time in Ohio, there was only one Krispy Kreme, and it was like 40 minutes outside of Cleveland somewhere in Ohio,” the former guard began.
“You had to drive 40 minutes back and you have to be at the arena before anyone else, about two and a half hours beforehand. So waking up at six in the morning to get donuts, it was crazy,” Green said with a smile. “If you don’t have [Shaq’s donuts], obviously they kick the ball into the stands. But Shaq had me pledging man, I had to greet them a certain way … And if I messed up, I get the paddle.”
The worst of Shaq’s horrifying attempts at paying dues was when he covered Lou Amundson’s mouth guard in his own feces and then told the big man to use it. Again, legally speaking, this is assault so Shaq is extremely lucky that Amundson did not pursue any retribution, as O’Neal would have been justifiably punished. It’s pretty obvious that Shaq is not a good person.
Green, like Shaq, spent just one season in Cleveland. He matured quickly in the league and would soon be the hero for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals just four seasons later. Some would fold after undergoing hazing from a specimen like Shaq, but Green persevered and fought his way to a successful 15-year career.
