It’s not just multi-million dollar empires that Shaquille O’Neal and Mark Cuban have in common. As it turns out, the two first connected over their jeering nature. Decades after they first met, the 15-time All-Star and the owner of the Mavericks decided to discuss their history on ‘The Big Podcast’.
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Though Cuban tried to bring O’Neal to Dallas, the relationship between the two wasn’t always agreeable. “The first time, Mark didn’t really know me, but he just started talking trash off the bat,” Shaq shared, as Cuban proudly nodded at the story.
Cuban, who is one of the most outspoken owners in the NBA, frequently mouthed off against Diesel when his Mavericks were facing him. O’Neal recalled how the businessman would complain, “Shaq’s in the f***ing lane, three seconds!”
Mark then shared the moment that marked a change in their dynamic. “Shaq didn’t like me right at the beginning cause- this is when you were with Leonard, right? Armato,” the Mavs owner began.
Cuban knew Leonard Armato, O’Neal’s former agent because they were neighbors in Manhattan Beach, California. This does, however, give us the context that this anecdote is from before 2001 when Shaq severed ties with Armato.
Cuban continued, “You were at something and he [Shaq] goes, ‘That motherf****er is lucky. He just got lucky.’ And I came right back at him, I’m like, ‘Yeah, you planned to grow to seven foot two, didn’t you?’ And then it’s just like, from there, we got along.”
Of course, it was banter that connected the big personalities, and their relationship grew quickly from there. Just a few years later, O’Neal and Cuban attempted to orchestrate a trade that would see them working together in Dallas.
Cuban tried to put Shaquille O’Neal and Dirk Nowitzki in the same frontcourt
By 2004, Shaq had won three NBA championships and Finals MVPs in LA. However, his relationship with Kobe Bryant had deteriorated and Diesel no longer saw his future with the Purple and Gold.
Though he would end up getting traded to the Miami Heat, O’Neal revealed that he “tried to get to Dallas many times“. Dirk Nowitzki was a guest on ‘The Big Podcast’ earlier this year when Shaq told him what was going on behind the scenes.
“Me and Mark [Cuban] was working behind the scenes, like right after I [wanted to leave] L.A., Mark was the first person I called, but [former Lakers General Manager] Mitch Kupchak didn’t want to trade me to Mark so they ended up [sending] me to Miami,” he shared.
Ironically, Dirk’s Mavericks would make their first appearance in the NBA Finals against Shaq and Dwyane Wade’s Heat, losing the 2006 Championship series 4-2.
But knowing what we know now, it’s likely that Nowitzki and O’Neal would have taken the Mavs to the promised land much sooner. With Shaq’s paint threat and Dirk’s outside shooting, frontcourts around the league would be hard-pressed to limit both Hall of Famers, making for an early and iconic rendition of Minnesota’s ‘Twin Towers’.
