Shaquille O’Neal does not beat around the bush as he gives some pretty strong advice to Tyrese Haliburton. The 2x All-Star is getting ready for the ultimate face-off in the All-Star Weekend. And Shaq is by no means having anything less than an MVP from the young guard.

Joining him from the TNT tip-off, he tells Haliburton, “This is your city. Do not pass the ball… Make sure you go home with that MVP!” Tyrese laughs as he reminds O’Neal that passing is his specialty. But the big man was having none of it tonight as he reiterated to keep in mind the MVP trophy and that he is playing on home ground.

Shaq’s advice comes as no surprise, given that he is the one who is giving it. The 4x champion played in an era where winning by whatever means was the motto. And the 7-foot behemoth that O’Neal is, he had no problem getting physical, trash-talking, or bullying players to get his way.

He was, after all, one of the biggest bullies of the NBA. But tonight, the 51-year-old’s advice doesn’t come with any hidden agenda, other than maybe being somewhat selfish. Tyrese Haliburton has risen to stardom amidst much uncertainty, from his fellow teammates even. Along with him, his Pacers have also grown. Indiana is now a destination many top players would consider worthy of moving to.

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Since his rookie season to this date, the 6’5 guard has shown consistent growth. He is posting some of the best numbers of his career this season – 21.8 points, 11.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Tyrese leads the team in points and assists as well.

Despite such merits, there was a hilarious incident involving Shaq and Tyrese last year. One that the ‘Diesel’ will have a hard time getting rid of.

Shaq makes a blunder of epic proportions involving Tyrese Haliburton

During the crossover of ESPN’s Countdown and TNT’s Inside the NBA for the in-season inaugural, the Insider crew had Haliburton on live. While complimenting the Pacers star, Shaq calls Haliburton, ‘Trae Young’. Ernie was quick to notice the mistake, and he said, “So is Tyrese.”

Haliburton looked like he was trying hard to not laugh initially, but Johnson’s remark just blew the lid off the cap. But Shaq is not one to be rattled as he promptly put the blame on the Las Vegas crowd behind him. “Ernie, it ain’t me. It’s that damn cannabis behind me,” he said in all seriousness as the entire place erupted in full-blown laughter.

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Anyway, that was then. Pretty sure O’Neal has Tyrese Haliburton as one of his favorites among the up-and-coming young stars. Whether Hali will put Shaq’s advice to use tonight can be seen in the results.

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