Shaquille O’Neal has always had a way with words. For a generation that grew up watching him have fun as an NBA analyst and a pop culture presence on roasts, much of the appeal lies in how he enunciates. But for those who saw him in his prime with the Lakers in the 2000s, the 7’1″ giant could talk the talk and walk the walk.
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The Lakers have always set the bar through the decades, and the 2000s were no different. As a prominent member of the roster that would go on to win a three-peat, Shaq was the man of the hour, and he made sure everyone he played against knew it. Just ask the Sacramento Kings, or as Shaq rechristened them, the “Sacramento Queens.”
The jab may feel dated now, but at the time, it cut deep for many fans. And more than two decades later, it still seems to sting, especially for comedian and former Daily Show host Hasan Minhaj.
Minhaj, who appeared on The Big Podcast with Carmelo Anthony, reminded Shaq just how much the nickname had wounded him and, in a playful yet polite manner, he demanded that the four-time NBA champion take it back after all these years.
Diplomatic as he is, Shaq politely declined, albeit while professing his love for the people of the city. He also explained that he called the team “Queens” as part of a battle tactic.
“No, I can’t do it. Can’t do it… Listen, I actually love Sacramento, but he [Carmelo Anthony] knows this because I’ve seen him talk trash to people. That’s how you get people [in] the game: manipulation!” the former Lakers star explained.
“I wanted them to be at their best because I know if we beat them at their best, we got a shot at winning a championship,” he continued, adding that it was important for Sacramento, as an up-and-coming championship contender, to pull up their socks and show up on the court.
Mind you, this is all happening in the lead-up to the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Up until this point, both the Lakers and the Kings had practically been at each other’s throats. This saga was so intense that there were fistfights involved at one point.
Regardless, Shaq had hoped that the Kings would really get riled up and raise their game. All-Star power forward of the team, Chris Webber, called him out on it, sure, but it was point guard Mike Bibby who decided to step on Shaq’s toes.
“It was only one guy who took that personal, and that’s why I love and respect him. Mike Bibby brought his boys to come see me. And it was his boys, like, you know, a lot of people know his boys, and my boys finally got to the point, be like, ‘Hey man, it’s just about … but it could’ve went left,'” the Hall of Famer recalled.
Well, at least Minhaj can go home knowing that Bibby tried to do something about it. But it’s not going to help with the childhood trauma Shaq caused him and thousands of Sacramento kids in the 2000s!
