Shaquille O’Neal was known for his brutal strength that could even bring down the basketball stanchion. But Shaq was not just an around-the-rim heavyweight, he could run like a deer too in his younger days. That is exactly why the LSU coaching staff were mesmerized when they saw the big man’s unique skill set for the first time.
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Shaq turning on the Jets during conditioning drills really convinced his coaches that the 7-foot phenom was an unprecedented talent.
Bob Starkey, who was the Assistant Coach of the LSU Men’s Team at the time, was taken aback by the big fella whistling past guards during 100-yard dashes. He had never seen anything like that before.
While Shaq wasn’t as nimble and crafty then as he would be in the NBA, the LSU Coach couldn’t comprehend how a seven-footer could outpace guards, who are usually way quicker than the big men of the team. During a recent appearance on the The Victory Degree pod, Starkey reminisced,
“When I coached him at LSU, he was tall. But he wasn’t as big as he was in the pros. But I remember the very first day of conditioning, we were out on a football field, ran a 100 yard dash and they [Shaq] beat the guards. I mean what seven-footer does that?”
It wasn’t just Shaq’s unparalleled athletic abilities that impressed Starkey. The 64-year-old also recalled how O’Neal was a terrific teammate. Despite being a standout athlete, he was willing to sacrifice his starting spot even then.
Since a big man on the roster was unable to find his mojo, Shaq had asked the coaching staff to start the low-post operator instead of himself. Starkey argued that such athletes are rare to find, especially in modern basketball.
“He [Shaq] was a great teammate. We had another post-player on the team at the time that was struggling and coming off the bench. A talented post player, but was just struggling to figure out how to get his game going. Shaquille came in one of our staff meetings and said, ‘Coach, [talking to Dell Brown] why don’t you start so and so and let me come off the bench.'”
“Find me somebody in today’s game that will come and tell the coach, Shaquille O’Neal, ‘It’s okay I will come off the bench,’” the veteran coach added.
Apart from Shaq’s performance as an athlete, Starkey also lauded his passion for education. He remarked how the former LSU Center now has a doctorate. The former LSU coach also pointed out how Shaq’s parents played a big role in hammering home the importance of education in his mind.
He also hailed the Lakers legend’s involvement in business pursuits while commending him for acknowledging his roots despite being a multi-millionaire.
