DUNK: DID YOU SEE VINCE'S DUNK IN THE OLYMPICS?
SHAQ: Vince is incredible. The way he jumped over that guy and dunked on him, it was real nasty. I've done it; my agent can show you the footage. I was the first to do it. Vince is probably proud of that moment. Vince is probably the first one to jump over a seven-footer and I'm probably the first seven-footer to jump over a six-footer. Vince has that title, and I have my title, but he was very impressive. But he wouldn't have done me like that. I would have dunk.netted him on his butt.
DUNK: DO YOU THINK THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU?
SHAQ: Never, because you could be winning by 50 and if you get dunked on like that, that's all they are going to talk about. The Lakers won by 50, but did you see that guy dunk on Shaq? As a big man you can never get dunked on. In eight years, I have only been dunked on four times. I'm the only big man that hasn't been dunked on in double figures. 'Cause I either foul you, or knock it out in the air. 'Cause I can look in your eyes and tell you what you are going to do before you go up. And if I look in your eyes and see that you are going to try to dunk, I'm going to put you on your back. You get six fouls and I'm going to use all six, wisely.
DUNK: WHO ARE THE FOUR GUYS THAT HAVE DUNKED ON YOU?
SHAQ: Jordan got me once, Derrick Coleman got me once, Tim Perry got me once, and Elton Brand got me last year. I thought he was going to lay it up, and he turned his wrist at the last minute and got me.
DUNK: WHO DO YOU LIKE DUNKING ON?
SHAQ: Probably the Georgetown trio: Ewing, Mutombo, and Mourning. Those guys just bring out the dunking in me. 'Zo jumps a lot and he's trying to average 20 blocks a game, and you are not going to do that. You're going average 3 or 4, but you're not going to average 20.
DUNK: ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE REUNITED WITH HORACE GRANT?
SHAQ: I think it's going to make my game much easier. And the easier my game is, the more dominant I will be. Luckily I was in great enough shape last year, not to get tired. Phil made sure that I got my sides each game, and did a lot of Tai Chi and stayed in shape. It's going to show people a little built more of what I can do. When I was in Orlando, people saw that I was a runner. When I didn't have the rebound, Horace had the rebound. Now, people of LA, now that I have a ring, it's time to play and bring out all of my stuff.
DUNK: WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT HORACE'S GAME?
SHAQ: He's a great rebounder and a great defender. When I get doubled, I'm kicking it out to him and I know that he's going to hit the shot. It's going to be all good. Like I said, now that I have a ring, now it's time to bring out my cross, my funky passes, now it's time to do work. Whatever they come with, I'll be ready. I'm programmed to handle any situation. I'm a robot, and whatever a higher-level person asked me to do something, I did it. Phil told me what he wanted and that's what I did. A lot of coaches didn't do that. Kurt (Rambis) didn't do that, Del (Harris) didn't do it, and Brian Hill didn't do it. Phil did it, Dale Brown did it, and my father did it. That's why I responded so well, because Phil stayed on me all the time.
DUNK: WAS THERE A MOMENT LAST YEAR, THAT YOU DID SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE?
SHAQ: One time I had a horrible practice because I stayed out the night before; there was this big party. I got to the plane, I was so tired, and I was asleep. As soon as I woke up, Phil was standing over me and said, "I don't ever want you to practice like that again, limit your parties." And then he walked away, and I said, "alright, my fault." I respond better to stuff like that. People don't know me, so they don't know how to treat me. But, Phil does, and hopefully he will continue doing it, and if he does, we'll keep winning.
DUNK: WHY DID YOU RESPOND SO WELL TO PHIL?
SHAQ: Most guys have egos, I don't have an ego. Especially when I guy has a resume like Phil Jackson. He's been there seven times, so obviously he knows what he is talking about. So, you have to listen. When you have guys that have never been there, you question them. Whenever Phil said something, guys did it. He said, "sit and do yoga and stretch." And guys did it. So, we had to sit there for an hour and do yoga, and it helped us. So, whatever he said to do, we did it.
SHAQ: Vince is incredible. The way he jumped over that guy and dunked on him, it was real nasty. I've done it; my agent can show you the footage. I was the first to do it. Vince is probably proud of that moment. Vince is probably the first one to jump over a seven-footer and I'm probably the first seven-footer to jump over a six-footer. Vince has that title, and I have my title, but he was very impressive. But he wouldn't have done me like that. I would have dunk.netted him on his butt.
DUNK: DO YOU THINK THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU?
SHAQ: Never, because you could be winning by 50 and if you get dunked on like that, that's all they are going to talk about. The Lakers won by 50, but did you see that guy dunk on Shaq? As a big man you can never get dunked on. In eight years, I have only been dunked on four times. I'm the only big man that hasn't been dunked on in double figures. 'Cause I either foul you, or knock it out in the air. 'Cause I can look in your eyes and tell you what you are going to do before you go up. And if I look in your eyes and see that you are going to try to dunk, I'm going to put you on your back. You get six fouls and I'm going to use all six, wisely.
DUNK: WHO ARE THE FOUR GUYS THAT HAVE DUNKED ON YOU?
SHAQ: Jordan got me once, Derrick Coleman got me once, Tim Perry got me once, and Elton Brand got me last year. I thought he was going to lay it up, and he turned his wrist at the last minute and got me.
DUNK: WHO DO YOU LIKE DUNKING ON?
SHAQ: Probably the Georgetown trio: Ewing, Mutombo, and Mourning. Those guys just bring out the dunking in me. 'Zo jumps a lot and he's trying to average 20 blocks a game, and you are not going to do that. You're going average 3 or 4, but you're not going to average 20.
DUNK: ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE REUNITED WITH HORACE GRANT?
SHAQ: I think it's going to make my game much easier. And the easier my game is, the more dominant I will be. Luckily I was in great enough shape last year, not to get tired. Phil made sure that I got my sides each game, and did a lot of Tai Chi and stayed in shape. It's going to show people a little built more of what I can do. When I was in Orlando, people saw that I was a runner. When I didn't have the rebound, Horace had the rebound. Now, people of LA, now that I have a ring, it's time to play and bring out all of my stuff.
DUNK: WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT HORACE'S GAME?
SHAQ: He's a great rebounder and a great defender. When I get doubled, I'm kicking it out to him and I know that he's going to hit the shot. It's going to be all good. Like I said, now that I have a ring, now it's time to bring out my cross, my funky passes, now it's time to do work. Whatever they come with, I'll be ready. I'm programmed to handle any situation. I'm a robot, and whatever a higher-level person asked me to do something, I did it. Phil told me what he wanted and that's what I did. A lot of coaches didn't do that. Kurt (Rambis) didn't do that, Del (Harris) didn't do it, and Brian Hill didn't do it. Phil did it, Dale Brown did it, and my father did it. That's why I responded so well, because Phil stayed on me all the time.
DUNK: WAS THERE A MOMENT LAST YEAR, THAT YOU DID SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE?
SHAQ: One time I had a horrible practice because I stayed out the night before; there was this big party. I got to the plane, I was so tired, and I was asleep. As soon as I woke up, Phil was standing over me and said, "I don't ever want you to practice like that again, limit your parties." And then he walked away, and I said, "alright, my fault." I respond better to stuff like that. People don't know me, so they don't know how to treat me. But, Phil does, and hopefully he will continue doing it, and if he does, we'll keep winning.
DUNK: WHY DID YOU RESPOND SO WELL TO PHIL?
SHAQ: Most guys have egos, I don't have an ego. Especially when I guy has a resume like Phil Jackson. He's been there seven times, so obviously he knows what he is talking about. So, you have to listen. When you have guys that have never been there, you question them. Whenever Phil said something, guys did it. He said, "sit and do yoga and stretch." And guys did it. So, we had to sit there for an hour and do yoga, and it helped us. So, whatever he said to do, we did it.
