Shaquille O’Neal is one man who has been known for having a lot of nicknames and, at the same time, giving nicknames to his basketball mates. There are already a lot of nicknames that Shaq has, but he always feels the need for more. “The Big Aristotle” for fellow player and friend Kobe Bryant, “The Big Cactus” for player Tim Duncan, and more like these—the list goes on.
Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA legend, is possibly the funniest athlete turned basketball analyst. The Los Angeles Lakers legend is a marketing mastermind who can also entertain fans. Shaq has said some humorous things since his first appearance as an analyst. He recently announced his new nickname, which went viral. Earlier this week, the four-time NBA champion asked that Kristen Ledlow introduce him as “Dark Nowitzki” during an NBA on TNT segment.
…never again, @SHAQ. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ssuKqf4Fax
— Kristen Ledlow (@KristenLedlow) January 19, 2023
In footage from the NBA on TNT that Ledlow herself released on Twitter, Shaquille O’Neal urged the sports anchor to introduce his new nickname. The 35-year-old anchor was hesitant to use Shaq’s new name at first, but, in the end, she had to give in to Shaq’s demands.
“I’m not saying it,” she said initially, to which Shaq replied, “You gotta say it or I’m not doing it.” The anchor resisted by saying, “He wants me to use his new nickname, but I just..” but then finally went on with it. “He wants me to introduce him as ‘Dark Nowitzki’, and I don’t think I should.”
Dirk Nowitzki was a huge Shaquille O’Neal fan
Many NBA players like Shaquille O’Neal because of his upbeat personality, which can instantly lift anyone’s spirits. In an interview, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki expressed his admiration for Shaq by delivering a rap from one of the four-time champion’s songs.
Dirk Nowitzki: Such a huge fan of @Shaq‘s rap, I still know the words to ‘What’s Up Doc’ pic.twitter.com/V60rBQdo4p
— Graham Bensinger (@GrahamBensinger) January 20, 2023
“So, I was such a huge NBA fan, and I was a huge Shaq fan; I also loved his rap music,” Dirk said.
Nowitzki then demonstrated his rap abilities by performing O’Neal’s section in the ‘What’s Up Doc’ song. Dirk’s surprising rap derives from his admiration for O’Neal. Shaq was already having fun off the field before Dirk made his way into the NBA.
After 21 seasons with Dallas, the 2007 NBA MVP announced his retirement. He’s done a lot of other things since then. Despite his retirement, the 14-time All-Star was active in a handful of the Mavs’ other initiatives. Dirk’s statue was just unveiled outside of the American Airlines Centre in honor of his devotion to the team.