Before making it to the league, Shaquille O’Neal had already developed into one of the biggest college recruits in the country. Granted that the LSU center was talented, many speculated if he would’ve had the same level of success had he chosen to commit somewhere else. But did you know the real reason behind Shaq’s decision to join LSU?
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The Big Aristotle had made an appearance on his former teammate’s podcast, The OG Show. Sitting down with Udonis Haslem, Shaq revealed how his love for a woman became the deciding factor behind his decision to commit to LSU.
“It was one girl named Madison… She was so goddamn fine… She was a senior, she was 24. I was like, ‘damn, you’re so beautiful’. And she’s like, ‘yeah, you come here. I’ll tutor you’. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do with you’. Madison, if you’re watching this, I love you.”
Shaq on the real reason he went to LSU:
“It was one girl named Madison… She was so goddamn fine… She was a senior, she was 24. I was like, 'damn, you're so beautiful'. And she's like, 'yeah, you come here. I'll tutor you'. I was like, 'That's what I want to do with you'.… pic.twitter.com/Ek8GCX8CYH
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 22, 2024
It is amazing as well as a little astonishing to think that a simple crush on a girl led to one of the most successful basketball collegiate careers of all time. Because during Shaq’s reign, LSU’s basketball program thrived the most.
Shaq played a total of 90 games during his three years at LSU. And each year, Diesel managed to outdo himself on the floor. Starting off by averaging 13.9 points his first year, O’Neal went on to average 27.6 points the very next year.
As per NCAA.com, Shaq’s entire three-year averages came down to 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game. An absolute stellar feat that only became possible due to Shaq’s infatuation towards a woman.
Why Shaq turned down MJ’s alma mater
The Lakers legend had a few options to choose from when the time came to pick a college. But instead of going to more reputed institutes or colleges with better basketball programs, O’Neal decided to commit to LSU.
According to SportsIllustrated, the University of North Carolina had displayed interest in Shaq’s talents. However, The Big Aristotle not only turned down UNC but also Illinois and UNLV. During an appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast, he revealed why.
“So I went to North Carolina, Rick Fox showed me around, it was too, let me say this without being disrespectful, it wasn’t hood enough for me (Chapel Hill), it was too, ‘Hey sir,’ I don’t like that.”
Despite having Michael Jordan as their basketball alum, Shaq chose to make his own path and the rest is history.
