“I Was Michael Jordan”: Shaquille O’Neal Shares Story of Team That Considered Him 6x NBA Champion Before Fame Arrived

“Don’t call Shaquille the next anybody, let him be the first Shaquille,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once remarked during Shaq’s college days. And now young hoopers dream to become the next Shaq. But Shaquille O’Neal’s journey to becoming the icon he is today is an interesting story. Once picked by Dale Brown, the 4x NBA champion joined Louisiana State University in 1989, where his incredible displays put the world on notice. His first recognition comes from the team, where they treated him like the consensus NBA GOAT, Michael Jordan.

On The Big Podcast, Shaq sat down with Udonis Haslem and revisited his LSU days. Reflecting on why athletes from LSU have such a distinct edge, Shaq credited the City of Baton Rouge. “It doesn’t matter what sport you play—basketball, baseball, football—the city loves you, win or lose,” Shaq said. The support of the community helped shape him not just as an athlete but also as a professional. Despite being just a college-level player, the team and the city approached him with the same reverence as they would Michael Jordan.

“The reason why I’m a good professional athlete is because I was a pro mentally at LSU,” Shaq further revealed on the podcast. “I’d walk in and people would approach me like I was Michael Jordan.” This early taste of stardom taught him how to interact with fans, handle pressure, and carry himself like a superstar. “When you play hard, they love you and respect you, win or lose.” But what led him to LSU?

According to Shaq, there were two main reasons. The first was coach Dale Brown. Shaq recalled how, as a 13-year-old kid with no confidence, he met Brown, who saw potential in him. “I thought I was a straight bum. But Coach Brown started sending me letters and moves on pieces of paper,” Shaq said, changing his path from potentially joining the Army, like his father, to pursuing basketball.

The second reason? A girl named Madison, who caught Shaq’s eye. “She was so goddamn fine,” Shaq joked on the podcast. She even offered to tutor him, which only motivated him more to attend LSU. With a laugh, Shaq added, “Madison, if you’re watching this, I love you.” It’s the kind of cheeky charm that reminds us why Shaq’s story, much like his game, is larger than life. However, once his star-like status in LCU was on the verge of backfiring.

Shaquille O’Neal LSU image was on the line

In his memoir Shaq Uncut, he shared how the pressure to live up to his hype as a top NBA prospect led him to put on a show, making people believe he had it all together, financially included. Shaq admitted, “Even though I didn’t have any money, I wanted people on campus to think I did.” The need to maintain his image as “The Man” was so strong that he faked having a car phone to match the persona.

In one hilarious episode, Shaq went so far as to wire up his dorm room phone to his Bronco, pretending he had a flashy car phone. “I used to drive around pretending to talk to everybody on it,” he recalled. The charade worked—until someone spotted it and tipped off his LSU supervisor, Bo. Forced to reveal his trick, Shaq begged, “Don’t tell the ladies.” Thankfully, Bo kept his promise, adding a playful layer to the larger-than-life character Shaq was building at LSU.

Yet, despite his status as a star in the making—perhaps the biggest high school prospect since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—Shaq still felt the need to fake it. Even for someone destined for greatness, this level of pretense was a bit much!

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.