“Michael Jordan Is Lifting Weights Right Now”: Shaquille O’Neal Looks Back at $22,400,000 Grossing ‘He Got Game’ with ‘Insane’ MJ Reference

The Netflix docuseries The Last Dance provided young NBA fans a glimpse of Michael Jordan’s superstardom back in the day. Still very much a household name, Jordan was a phenom in the late 80s and 90s. His growing popularity outside of America introduced the NBA to a large swath of international audience. MJ’s influence surged exponentially after he started winning Championships in the 90s, his exploits on the hardwood giving birth to iconic stories that inspired generations of athletes. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently reminded fans of an MJ reference from the 1998 movie ‘He Got Game’, which generated $22,400,000 in revenue.

Jordan’s obsession with winning and ‘killer’ mindset on the court caught fire after he started backing it up with consecutive Championships. Many aspiring hoopers utilized MJ’s example to fuel the fire inside them. Talented director Spike Lee captured that sentiment in American youth at the time in this scene of his movie. Shaq seemed to relate with the hustle.

Shaquille O’Neal shares iconic movie clip from 1998 with Michael Jordan reference

The Chicago Bulls’ two three-peats under the leadership of Michael Jordan was something unprecedented for Americans in the late 90s. Therefore, the six-time NBA champion soon transcended his superstardom as a basketball star and became a pop culture icon. This scene from ‘He Got Game’ aptly captures his influence on American youth and society in general.

In this movie clip shared by Shaq on his Instagram stories, Jake Shuttlesworth(Denzel Washington) can be seen motivating his son, Jesus Shuttlesworth, to push the limits during practice at night. Jordan’s name inevitably comes up in his speech, “We only the two people up. Me, you and Michael Jordan…Everybody else in the world asleep. What do you think Jordan doin’ right now? He workin out. He’s lifting weights right now. We out the projects, baby!”

MJ’s insane work ethic allowed him to go against his opposition relentlessly. He would also push his teammates to the limits to get the best out of them. Jordan’s mindset would also inspire Kobe Bryant and his famous Mamba mentality.

Shaq was also inspired by Jordan

Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t the hardest working player in the NBA. Therefore, MJ’s work ethic didn’t bother him. But the Bulls legend’s business acumen did.

Jordan’s Nike deal has been widely touted as the most lucrative shoe deal in sports history. Inspired by that, Shaq would go out in search for his very own shoe line. The Diesel would eventually link up with Reebok for a $40 million deal.