Shaquille O’Neal has won four NBA Championships during his long and illustrious career. He was one of the most dominant centers ever. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has also racked up an array of individual accolades along the way.

Since retiring, Shaq has been working as a basketball analyst. He is working with Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson for TNT’s ‘Inside The NBA’. He frequently shares his opinions about almost everything by appearing on different shows and on his podcast. 

After a dismal season, the Lakers fired head coach Frank Vogel at the end of the season. While they were on the hunt for a new head coach, O’Neal said that he would coach the Lakers if they offered him $25 million a year for four years. 

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The Lakers have now hired Darvin Ham as their head coach. But was Shaq serious about a coaching role? 

Shaquille O’Neal as head coach

The Lakers legend’s son Shareef O’Neal, who was coached by him, gave his honest opinion to TMZSports. Shareef said, “I mean, he’s coached a few of our teams. My last AAU tournament, he coached us to a championship.” 

Then the reporter wanted to know how good Shaq was with the x’s and o’s and asked whether he had the mind to be a pro coach. Shareef replied, “I don’t know. You gotta ask him. I don’t know what he wants to do… I mean, he knows basketball pretty well…”

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The forward also said that his father’s success as a coach in the lower levels could actually translate to the league. While The Big Diesel could have joked about taking on the Lakers head coaching role, it wasn’t an accident he became an elite player. 

Even though athleticism helps, he couldn’t have achieved so much without a basketball mind. Also, O’Neal’s experience playing under some of the legendary coaches like Phil Jackson, and Pat Riley will be an added advantage.

He has won three championships under Phil Jackson for the Lakers. And won one title under Pat Riley with the Miami Heat.

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Shaq has also played with some of the best players ever like, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James. Sharing a locker room with players of this standard is an experience in itself. 

While a lot of successful former players have failed as head coaches, we can only wait to find out how Shaq would fare as a head coach in the NBA one day.