“Shaquille O’Neal would run around butt-naked looking for teammates to hug”: Phil Jackson and Udonis Haslem reminisce about the Lakers legend’s antics within the locker room

Shaquille O’Neal would continually run around Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat locker rooms butt-naked looking for teammates to hug. 

Shaquille O’Neal is known for being one of the most physically dominant forces in the history of the NBA. He averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds for 14 years straight and did so while humiliating defenders on the opposition through brute strength and force. Though he made bank off the court, he did off it as well with a polar opposite, hilariously loving personality. 

The All-NBA talent turned journeyman is very much relevant 10 years following his retirement due to his lighthearted nature and this is something he’s had throughout his career. Shaquille O’Neal seemed to always be in a good mood off the court and this was in many fans, detrimental for his teammates on the Lakers and the Miami Heat.

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Shaq seems to have been much too comfortable during his days getting coached by Phil Jackson and being teammates with Udonis Haslem as he showed his bond through intense physical contact. Hugging people who you are fond of is fine, but doing it while being butt-naked might be taking it a step too far. 

Phil Jackson and Udonis Haslem remember Shaquille O’Neal being naked in the locker room. 

As if Phil Jackson didn’t have enough to worry about when it came to managing big personalities with bigger egos when coaching the early 2000s Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal didn’t make things any better when he showed up to practice completely naked.

“Shocked us all in a practice situation, especially when he showed up nude with just his shoes on,” said Jackson.

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Teammates Rick Fox and Derek Fisher also confirmed this story as the former claims Shaquille O’Neal did so far more than he should have. “He would start running around looking for guys to hug. That’s why, when I hit that shot in San Antonio, we were so good at sprinting off the court,” said Derek Fisher. 

Even his pit stop in Miami yielded similar stories as Udonis Haslem hilariously recalled Shaq running around naked in the locker room and also, not flushing the toilet.

The ‘Big Aristotle’ even admitted that his favorite memory while on the Heat was when he fought teammate Dorrell Wright in the shower while naked.