Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel does not have the makeup of the average NFL head coach. At 40 years old he is one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history. He also weighs about 180 pounds soaking wet. He explains why retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal initially didn’t believe McDaniel when he revealed that he was the Dolphins’ coach.
“He’s like this skinny guy and he said, ‘Shaq, I’m the coach of the Dolphins.’ And I looked at him like he was crazy, like, ‘Bruh,’” Shaq recalled. “And one day he was watching TV and I thought, ‘He’s the coach!’” O’Neal recalled.
“Hey, he looks like a kid. I’m used to seeing muscular trainers. When he came up to me and said, ‘Shaq, I’m the coach of the Dolphins,’ I said, ‘Yeah, okay, whatever.’ Nice to meet you.’ So, coach, I owe you an apology. I hope they make it to the Super Bowl. I apologize!”
O’Neal remembers 2004 trade to Miami Heat
Shaq is a fixture in Florida. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and after winning three titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004. It was a surprising move after he and Kobe Bryant had become the most dominant tandems in the NBA. Shaq recalled how the trade fell.
“Mister. [Jerry] Buss called me and said, “Hey, I love you.” He understands that he doesn’t want to earn less money; Miami is interested,” O’Neal said. “Okay, I’ll go to Miami. “Thank you, sir, that’s fine with me… basketball business!”
Shaq criticizes analyst over Kobe Bryant opinion
One of the reasons Shaq was willing to leave the Lakers was because things got ugly between him and Kobe. But the two Hall of Famers reconciled before Kobe’s untimely death in 2020.
During a recent appearance on the Stephen A. Smith Show, Shaq disagreed with the famed analyst about where he ranks Kobe among the all-time greats.
“You guys just take it out of the conversation. “So it kind of went from Mike to LeBron, and you just took my guy out of the conversation,” Shaq said. “His name should be there all the time. And when his name doesn’t appear there, that’s when people have a problem.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn