Shaquille O’Neal Recalls How a “Rookie He Used to Torture” Pranked Him Using His “Van of Death” in Phoenix

Yesterday was April Fool’s Day, which makes it one of Shaquille O’Neal’s favorite days. Shaq has been known as the NBA’s biggest prankster for years, and his tales of messing with teammates are legendary. Last night, though, Shaq shared a story on Inside the NBA of one time the size 22 shoe was on the other foot, as he was on the receiving end of an epic prank from a rookie teammate.

Nearly 20 years ago, Shaq was in the “Big Cactus” phase of his career as a member of the Phoenix Suns, and he had a teammate named Lou Amundson who was in his first year in the league. Amundson would go on to have the perfect journeyman’s career, playing for 10 different teams in 10 seasons, but when this story takes place, he was just a rookie.

If there’s one thing you don’t want to be, it’s a rookie on Shaq’s team because, by his own admission, he loved to mess with first-year players. Shaq told the Inside the NBA crew that Amundson was “a rookie I used to torture” by taking his bike all the time.

According to Shaq, “[Amundson] never fought back… and then one day he fought back, unexpectedly. And this is what happened,” and he proceeded to tell the tale of when Lou filled Shaq’s favorite van with packing peanuts. O’Neal’s called his deep red ride the “van of death.” Perhaps Amundson thought it needed extra safety features.

No pun intended, but there’s a lot to unpack here. Why was this particular vehicle called the “van of death”? And how many vans did Shaq own that this was his favorite one? Maybe some questions are better left unanswered.

Shaq sees his pranks as a form of leadership and team-building

When telling the Amundson story, Shaq said, “I did what I had to do to keep the camaraderie tight in the locker room.” He’s taken that same mindset with him to Inside the NBA, where he frequently messes with his cohosts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.

Shaq must have been inspired by Amundson, because he’s pulled the ol’ “fill the car with something” prank many times. One time, he got Kenny by loading up his rental car with snow, and the Jet busted him for it by finding the security footage.

Another time he used the packing peanuts trick to get Chuck back for hitting him with a water bottle that exploded and got his laptop wet.

Shaq’s methods may be unconventional, but there’s no denying that anywhere he goes, he and his team have fun. The Inside the NBA crew has more laughs than anyone on TV, and Shaq was always beloved by his teammates throughout his 19-year career.