March 6, 2022 • 45 mins
Hosted by Sarah Kustok, NBA Flashback is the podcast that takes you back to the best moments in NBA history through exclusive archival audio from the NBA vault, along with new interviews with the players and coaches who were in the building.
In this episode of NBA Flashback we go back to March 6th, 2000 and relive the night Shaquille O'Neal set his career-high with 61 points on his birthday against the Clippers at Staples Center. We talk with a couple of Shaq's teammates on that 2000 title team, Devean George and Glen Rice, about what made Shaq so unstoppable, Shaq and Kobe's connection, and comparing Shaq to Giannis and today's NBA players.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
NBA Flashback is a production of I Heart Radio in
the NBA in the middle of Happy Birthday, twenty eight
birthday for Chaquille O'Neal. Happy birthday, Shack, twenty eight years
(00:22):
of eight. Just think twenty years ago tonight he was
sleeping in a crib big Oh, what does my old Neil?
He does it all. He is the complete package. Like
(00:48):
your song on the more smarm margin. He's talking to Oh,
Neil wants the more take down. I think he's trying
to score now. I mean looking maybe a new career
birthday lable pay year. Shaquille O'Neill the diesel maybe the
(01:24):
most physically dominating man ever to play the game, and
in two thousand he had one of the best years
anyone has ever seen. He won the scoring title, he
was the league MVP, he led the Lakers to the championship,
and on his birthday, he dropped his career high sixty
one points on the Clippers. I'm Sarah Comstock and you're
(01:48):
listening to NBA Flashback, the show that takes you back
to the greatest moments in NBA history, using archival audio
from the NBA as well as new interviews with the
players and coaches who were in the building on today's
episode of NBA Flashback. We go back to March six,
two thousand, when Say My Name by Destiny's Child was
(02:12):
the number one song in the world, Survivor was about
to change reality TV forever, and Blockbuster Video turned down
the opportunity to buy Netflix for fifty million dollars. Whoops.
We're talking with Devin George, who was Shock's teammate on
the Lakers for five years, winning three NBA titles, And
(02:33):
we also spoke with Glenn Rice, who spent two seasons
on the Lakers and was a three time All Star.
About the night Shock voted all the Clippers Big Men
off the Island and scored his career high sixty one
points while celebrating his twenty eight birthday. Devin, first off,
thank you for joining us and and digging back a
little bit on some of these great memories that you
(02:54):
had throughout the course of your career. Yes, no problem,
you guys are taking me way back. But remember, I
mean these were these were life you know, changing experiences,
so so I remember like like nothing. But we are
taking you back because this is back to your rookie year.
You were coming from Augsburg College, a D three school,
and you were jumping right in with the Lakers. Kobe Shack,
(03:17):
Phil Jackson, What type of experience was this for you?
And just how you were just thrown right into the
fire in such a tremendous opportunity it was. It's crazy
because I always tell people that, you know, I always
compare these things like the guys that played at North
Carolina when they go to a small market team like
(03:38):
Milwaukee Bucks or Timberwolves at time, that's a big jump.
You know, they were at North Carolina, they were at Duke.
You know, there's a big are on TV. It's still
a big jump when you come to the NBA. I
was at a D three school with with you know,
fifty people in the stands, you know, on the nightly basis,
and then I go from that to the Lakers. Not
only to the Lakers, then Phil was there. Phil Jackson
(04:00):
was just hired. Kobe, it was just showtime. So just
imagine the jump that I had to go through. Not
only you know, it's a big jump for me to
go from Ogsburg to like Duke or but I went
from I surpassed all of that. But you know, so
that was what I was dealing with, you know, at
this time, and then you know, my rookie year. I
was just really just trying to soak it all in
and just kind of get used to everything the life.
(04:21):
Ask a lot of questions, be seen, not heard, shut
my mouth up, do my job, because I'm just trying
to figure things out. We had a star studded, heavy
veteran team that just had a lot of experience, and
it was just really crazy because a year later, I'm
in my dorm room watching these guys and now I'm
on the same team. So it was it was a
little adjustment, but I was just taking it all in.
(04:43):
But it was really just just I mean everything, the
amount of people that's always around, and it was just
like kind of media. It was just really something that
I had to really get used to, and I just
so but for the first parts of the season, I
just kind of really just stayed quiet. I didn't really
say much. It was just trying to figure things out.
The team itself, though obviously very good. You'd won fifteen
(05:03):
in a row coming into this game. You talk about
being a rookie head down, just trying to take it
all in, But was there a feel that this team
was on the verge of being something special. Yeah, because
we that that year. I mean we had multiple like
long streets. We had fifteen and then nineteen I think
we did, and so we put together a couple of
(05:24):
like really big streaks during that season. But I definitely
felt like it was this was something special, you know,
because I was an NBA fan of why I was
watching all the games in college and as as a youngster,
and I kind of saw like how this was going.
I'm like, this is this is something different. I think
coach was the final piece, Phil Jackson kind of putting
everything together because a lot of these Laker teams always
(05:46):
had talent, you know, they just needed somebody to put
it right, the right system. And when Phil came in
the credibility he had the stripes that he had who
he coached the greatest probably of all time. Everyone else
will fall in line. If he tells us, dude, this, this,
and this, Everybody's gonna fall in line. What was special
about him, what made him different? His knowledge of the
(06:07):
game and his vision of like he would predict the games,
like how the flow would go, what players to kind
of use in different situations, understanding the other team's strengths
and us hiding our weaknesses. He was great at that.
You know. He would come in with a game plan
of saying, hey, I know all year long, I yell
(06:30):
at you guys for throwing the ball to this area
this game, throw it there all you want to, and
it would just work. He was like ten steps ahead
of everybody else, the other coaches. He knew all their plays,
even though we had assistant coaches that had like each
coach had maybe ten teams, eight teams you know that
they would scout for. When it came down to it,
he knew all of the other teams plays. If they
(06:52):
went over something to the scouting report, he would raise
his hand. Okay, wait, go over the other creel move
that they do? Which one is that? All? The one
they called this? He do every plays of the other teams.
And so that was that was I think that was his, uh,
his advantage all those things. What was your relationship like
with Shack Your rookie year, rookie year? It was great.
(07:12):
Shock was like Santa Claus and Big Brother, because you know,
we didn't get paid until like, you know, November. You know,
obviously we're there all summer and ball and whatnot part
of the season that already started until we get our
first paycheck. So Shack was like he really gives Shack
of clause. I mean he was just giving us, you know,
the young guys that that we didn't get paid money.
And so I mean he was always having me do something.
(07:35):
I had to go get him headphones. I had to
you know, always do something. But he took care of
us on the other end. But so Shack was like
a good big brother, good mentor. He knew when to
be serious sometimes pull it aside and I need to
do this, don't do this. And so great leader spoke
up for the guys. He took the lead if if
(07:55):
coach wasn't giving us time off for too many days,
or we hadn't had a day off and practic. This
hed come to guys that you need to practice meet
day off guys, you know, and he come in, coach,
we ain't practicing, My guys need a day off. We're
not practicing. Nope. And so he he was that type
of leader of like speaking for everybody in leading and
you know, taking control of the locker room. Was there
(08:17):
that mutual respect between him and Phil Jackson, Oh, Yeah,
he would definitely listen to him. He would definitely take
his advice if we needed it. That's amazing. You would
talked about Shaq being a big brother type figure. Do
you Is there anything you recall of a conversation that
he pulled you aside or when he was serious or anything. Um,
any moment that really stands out to you. Probably one
(08:41):
moment when we play Minnesota. I had my mom cook,
I bring all the guys out to the house and
and he really took me to the side and said,
you know, what I was doing was smart and gave
me good sound advice. You know, you got your mom
house it snad and um, he didn't go overboard. And
so we've had those good conversation. We had a lot
of money conversations, you know, about saving your money, doing this,
(09:03):
you know, what to do with it. But all the
guys were I think that was part of, you know,
the reason I didn't get ripped off maybe some of
these other guys that some of these financial guys are doing,
because I would go back to them with questions like, Hey,
what about this, what about what about that? And they're like,
hell are you talking to Like so either somebody's watching me,
or you're paying attention, so um. But they would go
(09:26):
and they ask you a financial guy this, ask him this,
tell him to set this up for you, and I
would go and they kind of be like, you know,
someone's watching for this kid because he don't know what
he's doing. So I think maybe that have helped me.
And Shaq was honest. He was honest with the team
about his health, how he was feeling that day, if
he was in the mood, if he wasn't a mood.
(09:47):
He was always a prankster. He always found each day
to to find some way to prank somebody or to
do something silly. But when he came to seven thirty,
when it came game time, he would go to either
role players or me and slam us against the wall, like, hey,
I need you tonight, like you know, on a decoy tonight.
My ankle hurts, I'm not going to be able to
(10:07):
do it. Just throw it to me. I'm pretending like
I can do it. My back hurt, whatever it is.
And then there's some nights like this night, which I
remember exactly on his birthday. I don't know if he
got a great meal in, he got a good map
in but he was adamant, like bring it to me.
I can't tell you you know what what he really said,
you know how what he called us, But he's like,
bring it to me. That's all he kept saying is
(10:28):
bring it to me. He was just determined. So whatever
he had or whatever he ate, he was on one.
And it was apparent from shoot around to pre game
to the last twenty minutes before we go out. He
was reminded us, all bring it to me. It's it's
it's it today. Do you think that was? So? Was
this birthday? Do you think that was a birthday thing?
Was it just the night? I don't know, but you
(10:51):
asked anybody else, and he was letting them know, like
that day, like bring it to me. Who I feel good?
He must have woke up on the right side of
bed or whatever, but he was. He was really really
saying bring it to me. We did ask someone else,
Glenn Rice, another one of shocks teammates on that two
thousand team. Oh yeah, that was that was Devin was
a right on point. Right before the game. It was,
(11:12):
you know, Shock's birthday, and he wanted to really go
out and do something special. We just didn't really we
didn't understand how special it was gonna be. Uh he
said that for some reason. He just said his body
was feeling great that day. Are No. Eight. He was
in a very happy mood, and uh he was like, look,
get me the ball. I can dominate tonight. And you
(11:33):
know when a player like him say get him the ball,
he dominated. I mean it was special. I mean he
this man was hitting everything. He was even hitting free throw.
I mean that was you know, he's in the shop,
but he was in his group. Teammates say he was
fired up. But the Lakers got off to a rough
start in this one, and the Lakers have not come
(11:53):
out sharply, not at all. Check. It's March six, two thousand,
otherwise known as the Day of shock Shack Day birthday.
Wishes abound. The legendary chickern and Stu Lance had the
(12:15):
call for kcal in l A and NOL Laders and
gentlemen live from the magnificent Fabull Center and downtown Los
Angeles Tonight, gun Rice Lobert, Aori n Harper, Very Fisher
and the Los Angeles Lakers meet the Los Angeles Clippers.
Everybody oh a bed leg shack just to ride keep
(12:36):
that away from my toilet, the shackles, Look at shacks,
look at the calf, look at the coach. This it
is eight birthday, Happy birthday. That coat that could be
a bit spread, Well, if it was a bit spread,
it would be a king's size beard, that's for sure.
I'll let Chick give you some more context. If the
Lakers are gonna get their sixteenth consecutive win for the
second time this year, they've got to beat the Clippers tonight. Now,
(12:59):
the Clippers haven't done much in the way of stopping
them in the first three games they've played, but this
is a new night, and they could make their entire
season with a victory. Which you can believe me, they
are going to come out guns are blazing to night
because they don't have anything to lose, they have everything
to gain. So the Lakers focus has to be there early.
The drought is gonna be We're told in excess of
twenty thousand fans for the Laker games. You don't get
(13:21):
that many in here, but the configuration for Clipper games
is different, and the crowd scenes pretty well divided. Yeah, well,
they love both, but they love their Lakers. Check recalled
the start of that game for open court on NBA TV.
So you know, the game start and the Clippers are
killing us. But Clippers are killing and then Phil he
starts yelling at me and the Lakers have not come
(13:42):
out sharp, not at all. Chick down four to one play,
but a lot of game the Lakers have Hatch starts
like this during the street and all the guys are
looking at me, so you know, give me the ball.
You guys got off to a slow start, which relatively speaking,
it was a one start. But he calls the time out.
A team called the Laker coach wants the time out.
I don't blame it at all. He's probably getting sex watching. Yeah,
(14:05):
when he takes your time out this earlier, you know
he's not very happy. Nine minutes and seven seconds going
the first Can you think back, and maybe not that
that instance in particular, but how he was early on
what he might be saying, um, just his philosophy and
and how he was able to group you guys in.
So if people realize Piel likes to start like he'll
(14:27):
call an early time out eight one, they're going a
team go on early run, He'll call He'll help us
out early in the game. But a lot of people
didn't understand. Like during the game, a team going a
fifteen old run and coach would sit over there, legs crossed.
We're looking at him to call it time out. He's
telling us, I'm not bailing you guys out. Figure it
out on your own. It's amazing. Chicken Lakers obviously not
(14:48):
playing well at all. Look over Coach Jackson sitting there,
makes crossed. I don't think he's on the bus, Like
we need a time out. Coach, He's like, nope, no
time out. Figured it out on your own. But early on,
you know, he usually likes to qual of time out,
settle us down. You know, even at halftime of games
we're down twenty points, he coaches cracking jokes. He always
wanted to keep it light. You know, he come in
(15:10):
and we're down by twenty points and he's like, well
that's we got it right where we want them. You know,
here we go. But you know, it was just his
philosophy kind of keeping guys loose and not panicking, because
that was like his whole thing of like if he panics,
then we're all going to panic. So he wants to
keep everybody else coming. We see him, he's not, he's
not tripping, So you know, we kind of keep a relax.
(15:30):
You know, there's some coaches they're yelling we lose, We're
gonna lose. Then everybody else gets frantic. And so that
was his philosophy. But I can't really remember what was said.
But his philosophy really was just to kind of stop
what was going on early and then let us figure
it out as we get, you know, go through the game.
With that being said, um, no one on the Lakers
this night had played more than twenty nine minutes, except
(15:52):
for Shack, who played forty four. Was that Phil was
that shock saying keep me in? What how do you
think the dynamic worked without Well, I'll tell you this.
I mean, I'm sure it had something to do he
would want to stay in, But that I think a
lot of that those minutes are on field because Phil
would never ever ever take him by the game. So
(16:12):
and that's why you know him and Codd in practice,
they usually didn't practice a lot. They would sit there
and talk about us and laugh and instigate, you know,
stuff that's going on on the sideline because they played
heavy minutes. But Phil wouldn't He would take him by
of the game. He'd look over and ask coach, give
me a break, and you're like, no, He'll call it
time out. Here's your break. You have him sit down, Okay,
(16:34):
get a break. You need another break. He'll wait, and
you know, coach shacks like, give me out of game.
I need a break. You call the time out. Get
another break. He would call time out if he need
to break. He would not sell by the game. No,
you're not going another game. So he said, you'll get
the day off tomorrow. Check back in turn, he jumper
on his first day is good, that's his first first
(16:54):
day baster FSTA and he won't do his laugh. So no,
him paying heavy in. It has to do with with
Bill a lot. I'm starting to go to work and
I'm getting the ball and I'm looking. I'm like, oh,
you gotta Pete Chill cut on there. You're not going double.
The Clippers put Pete Chill cut on him, and he
definitely didn't have a chance. Shack just ate him alive.
Scored every time barbecue. So they had Pete taking me,
(17:20):
They had had Anthony Avans taking me, and then they
tried to hack a shack thing and I had to
get my elbow and let my name was Dennis Skot
as long as I got to line up, and there
they got with Chill Cut guarding Shack and going for
a thousand and he should he they should go in
the shock every time, down into the defense that you're absolutely, um,
did you did? You often see the opponents just throughout
(17:43):
the course of the season just give up and just
get crushed. I tell you this, and I think who's
We used to laugh? Oh, we used to laugh at
it because you would literally see pregame warm upline the
other big man like, man, what I gotta deal with you, Mike,
Like they're like, list is not really you can see
like them thinking like I'm not trying to deal with it.
(18:04):
And it's crazy how the game has shifted. You know.
Now it's more guard driven. But my rookie year it
was still like center driven, you know, because the centers
used to be the La Juan Patrick hun Shocks, you know,
all of them, the Kareems. It was. It was center
dominated in big Man, and then it was not only
the center, but the fours were like a beast, like
(18:25):
the Rashid Wallace's and the Karl Malone's. The power forward
was like the Kevin Garnets, the Tim Duncan's. It was
like a big man forward kind of driven league then,
and so you would see teams get all these centers.
You'd have a team full of centers. Well, why because
you gotta guard. You know you're gonna play against Shack.
You need bodies. He'll file, He'll file the first two
(18:47):
centers out. You know, in the first half, Montt called
on him and he goes over and tells little Joy
that that's because he knows all of his files have
to be saved for number thirty four on the office
the team, and that's Shaquille O'Neill. He can't pick up
any chief pius in the process of guarding shots. And
so you had to stack your team with with seven footers.
(19:08):
Didn't matter if they could play or die. Like, hey
you seven ft okay, we'll sign you up because you
gotta play shots. So that's how the game has changed.
But yeah, it was. It was heavily center dominant and
power forward. If you go back and look, Glenn Rice
had some sympathy as well. It ain't the fact that
they give up, it's just they realized that they just
can't do what you can't do anything either. You're gonna
(19:28):
file him. You're just gonna make you look really bad.
And you gotta just decide which medicine you're gonna take.
You're filing and hope that he go to the free
throw line and miss, or do you just just bear
through the punishment. Most guys, most guys trying to bear
through the punishment because they're big men's. I mean, they
gotta he goes to They want to go out there
(19:48):
and test their might against the almighty Shock. And if
I was a big man, I wouldn't piss him. If
I'd offer him cookies, you know, offer him you know, hey,
I go take it to the mall. Let's go shopping.
I try and be as nice as possible so he
can get a quiet thirty on me, not a thunder
is sixty one. He's the most dominant big man to
(20:11):
play the game outside of whilk chamber. It's hard to
stop him. Uh. At halftime, Shock has twenty six points.
The locker room is he's still saying, give it to me,
give it to me. Was there any talk about how
many he could get? Yeah, and you know, and the
and the easiest nights for him to get those those
points like that where it really kind of goes by
everyone's head is when it's like a real competitive game
(20:32):
over losing, overre not playing good. So it's like him
getting up lots of shots and him going and playing
and shooting. It kind of skims over everybody. It doesn't
look like, oh, he's taking a lot of shots, because
it's kind of in the floor of the game when
you're losing or when you're down. It really is. It's
hard to see it, but he's still feeling good, telling us,
bring it to me, bring it to me. Glenn Rice
(20:53):
also shared his memories of halftime. We were talking about
getting him the ball more, but we had no idea
that he was gonna go out and get, you know,
the sixty one, a career high. We knew it was he.
He would tell us it's easy down, they're just getting
me the ball. We're just all right, you know, if
you got position, you know what, You're gonna get the
ball every time until you get tired. I'm not gonna
(21:13):
get tired, Okay, then it's coming to you. And he
didn't get tired. The ball came to him and he
got the sixty one in this game. In particular. Uh,
we think about shock and the power and the fourth
he is on the inside. But he was using that
little baby baby hook right hand over his left shoulder. Uh,
was that one of his go to moves? What? What
(21:34):
do you think about when you think about some of
some of his go to His go to was was
was his power? And really you know he know he
had great counter moves. But that game, I remember him
just showing us everything and him saying, this is why
I'm like one of the best big man ever because
(21:56):
I remember like him doing his fade away shot about
out to Kobe back in the shock, Shack cherious. That's good.
Heven doing his power dunk, blow up lettle back, save
a big seller. Don't do him like that, him doing
his finesse. He made a perfect pass over the basket
(22:19):
and shock with the right hand. Brol But that's the
first time the Ls have punished the half the full
court press. You do that enough time and you really
take the spirit out of the players. Defensively, they don't
want to do that. And Ory with the nice pass
and shock because he this is Shack's birthday and he's
got twenty five point he might go for fifty to
night on his birthday. He definitely him doing his finger
(22:41):
roll in the shack. He's un the bat because finger
rolls it in, you don't see him. Finger rolls are
very often at that time, not very often, but get
footwalks up time and neber him to get in a
position to do it and means you put your palm
toward the ceiling and let roll off your fingers. I
remember him doing him. He even hit a few free throws.
You know that game. Shack has fust free throwout at night.
(23:04):
But he's only a free throw shooting this year. But
in his last four games he's shooting sixty two percent.
I said, only fifty. That's you. We're a pretty good
considering where he was gonna. He's got the lucky bounced
on this him. But he got the lucky bounds because
it was a soft shot. It was a shooter shot.
I remember capping it off. He even was going to
coast to coast a few times. He was running the floor.
(23:24):
Why was he running the floor a birthday race? Can't
beat everybody down the floor. That's seven one twenty pounds
stretching out. He said, gets me if you can at
a bad file, that time by Pete Chill cut give
him the Lakers Shaquille O'Neil a chance at a three
point play. If you're not gonna wrap him up, you
(23:45):
might as well just let him go shock at the
line and see if he can complete that same. If
he makes this free throw, he equals his season high
at one. You know, he's only nine points away from
fifty if he makes this, and we're the third and
the third not like can see him leaving them and
I don't know if they will four quarter to try
(24:05):
to get fifty four all time recordless. I don't think
there was anything he didn't do. He was blocking shots
and then like the top it off, he took it
coast to coast and through code alley oop like he
was the guard. It was a revert roll versal shot,
got it, you know, I think he got a rebound
or something, but he dribbled up and then through Kobe
(24:28):
reverse alley oop a dunk, you know, like a guard
would do. You know what's going on in his twenty
eight this and get around them. So I think that
game that stands out of my mind is like he
showed everything and he did it well, like everything shoes
free those baby hooks left right, power dunks, dribbling, ball handling,
(24:52):
running the floor, blocking shots. It's like, you know what else?
Do what? There's nothing else you can do with this guy,
you know, And so he showed it all. You know,
you get thirty, right, and like, man, I didn't get forty,
so I got forty right. I was like, man, I
can't get fifty, so now and I got fifty guys
who are like, go get six and go get six.
Kobe was still years old. He was in his third
(25:15):
year in the league. He was actually younger than you
were in your rookie season. At what point did you
realize or did you realize at that time that he
would end up being one of the all time grades.
It took me, I would say, like my second third year.
I started to see like the god given ability that
(25:37):
he was given. And he would like, have me stay
after practice, a guard me this way, don't let me
go this way, push me this way, hit me here, no,
stay here, push me out, and he would work on
certain things and he would bring it to the game
later on that day or the next day. Is it
like he've been working at it all summer when most
(25:58):
of us, most guys that understand basketball. That that played
like it's a process. When we're working on different things
putting in our game. You know, we go at night,
we shoot, we we bring our boys to the gym,
we have our boys guard us. We bring it to practice,
we try that practice, then we bring it to the game.
He works on something for like ten minutes and then
he'll bring it to the game and does it like
(26:19):
he's been working on it all summer. And he was
able to put things in his game so quick like
that that no one else can do that. And that's
when you realize, man, this guy's got something special. Man
that you can say all you want to the work ethic,
and his work ethic is unbelievable. But it was just
that I think it was just that ability he can
just put something in his game. Up. I want to
(26:39):
do left hooks now, I mean it's gonna take most
of us to do it. He'll just okay, guard me
this way. He'll start working on left hooks and he'll
do it in the game. Is it like he's been
practiced it for months. And so that was one of
the things that sat like, this is not normal. He's
got thirkey on points wrong about Kobe. Corse Kobe and
shot my total up the one of the Lakers sixty two.
(27:03):
How the ball over due here on green stop, Banks
shot sixting. Look he got robbed and the rebounders off
the hearts. I passed, shrieking public what I passed and
what I finished? Time out? What was your relationship like
with him? It was very good, and it was as
a rookie coming in. You know, he was sitting in
(27:25):
the back of the bus, be quiet, cannot be, not
getting too much involved in a banter or whatnot. But
every summer after the season whatever, he would call me,
always make sure I'm doing like, working on my game,
working on this, make sure you this okay, we're gonna see.
We'll see if you've been working on it. Um. I
think he just took a liking to m because I
passed his you know, his rookie whatever. He has a
(27:48):
rookie test, and as a rookie he tries to go
ask you like he tries to destroy you. And he
would always try to match up with me. Coach would
pair me with two other guys. He would switch with
the other guy. Coach would put two guys you to
go at it. I turned around and he switched with
the other guy. I'm like, what is this? You know
what's going on with this dude? And I'm like, so
(28:09):
we would just battle, go battle. I wouldn't say anything,
and I'll start like kind of ask the trainers like
did I do so? Like I don't even say anything,
I don't talk like what I do to do. He's like, no, no, no,
just just keep doing what you're doing. He this is
his thing, is what he does. And you know, from
that point if he if you competeed and you getting
back down, he loved you. He loved he just wanted
(28:30):
you know. But the guys, I know, we have a
problem with with the guys that game time come around
and they're like, my shoulder hurts a little bit. And
he didn't really couldn't really ride with that, like you
show you what he like your shoulder, Yeah, this is
a little sore, you know, And he's like, uh, then
he had a hard time with those type of guys.
Was there any conversation or a bit of advice that
(28:53):
stands out with you through the years that that he
gave you that really resonated. Yeah? Oh yeah, I mean
he was he was always big after games, you know
what I need to do, things that need to work on,
you know, picking up like, hey, you're still not doing this,
or you need to use your left war you need
to you know. He was always big on that. But
but one of the big things that really um got
(29:14):
me is is, you know, my contract was up after
my third year, and he was in there every day
helping me get my contract, you know, for them to
resign me for the four additional years. And so he
was there every day, called me, hey, to get the
numbers right. Nope, not yet, they get the numbers right. Okay,
I'm being there and so you know, and they told
me that too when I signed and said, you know,
Cold is in there every day making sure you get that, said,
(29:35):
I know he was calling me. So yeah, I was
always in debt with him, even when he was that
year with Adidas. He spoke on on behalf, Yeah, I
like this guy, like this kid on my team, get
him when he needs to get and so he was
always been a good spokesman for me. Up next, Devin
has forgotten his role in Shock sixty one point. Don't worry.
We reminded him less than four minutes ago. You guys
(30:07):
are big, and Phil puts you in in the crowded.
The crowd is just nuts at that point because obviously
everyone's watching the scoring of shock. You get a rebound,
you give it. The Kobe dishes a shock for his
sixty and sixty first points. What was that feeling? Do
you even remember? Did you even realize that? I don't
(30:28):
go about check up by George again, by jobs by George.
We'll get a chat to get back to show shots, say,
oh man six one. I mean, I know I got
in coach with Toby it. I remember, like even my
(30:48):
rookie year, either we got the full end of the
game or when there was like an energy low, he
would always kind of throw me in, like, you know,
get get a spark, get some rebounds, run around, you know,
just to kind of pick up the picked up the
pace of the game. But I don't remember when or
how I got into this game. I don't remember. It
was a long time. Well, now you gotta start telling
that story. You were, you were, you were part of it,
(31:10):
You were part of I was the was they called
it the hockey assists? Yeah, the hockey assist to get
for shocks sixty one, because I got it, gave it
the cold cold So yeah, yeah, put that, put that down.
Put that down in the record book. Um, speaking of
those two, right right after he scored his last basket,
he threw a perfect alley oop to Kobe and watching back, yes,
(31:34):
I remembered that. Yes we heard this clip earlier, but
we gotta listen again. Howdy me, God, he knows what's
going on in is twenty eight one day under the
assist and Toby makes this packet or underneath I'm in
seven point and the seven I gotta take shot out
(31:56):
the next step do not retesting. So what do you
make of that? The the idea of him immediately doing that,
and also just the connection in chemistry that they had together.
So you know, I think there was one thing that
I think was overhyped, is like the beef between them two.
They had a little they had a big brother little
(32:16):
brother relationship, but really playing together for the most part,
they would work together and feed off of each other.
When we're going over our game plan, we're going over
what we need to do, our strategies, they're talking a
codes like a set my pick here, He's like get
me the ball here. They're working together all the other stuff. Yes,
they had a little big brother relationship, but I don't
(32:37):
think it was I think it was a little it
was blown out of proportion because we're there every day.
I think with the allue, the connection to chemistry, I
think for me memory that was like the cherry on
the top for him to show I can do everything.
It's like he got the ball and he's like, okay,
guards are usually doing this, this is what I can do,
(32:57):
and he the roles were reversed. He threw hold the allee,
and I think it was just like, Okay, that's enough.
You showed us everything you can do. I think that
was the last thing that he didn't do that game
was getting like a guard and throw alle you to cod.
So he finishes sixty one points, twenty three rebounds. He
was twenty four thirty five efficient night and just stunning
(33:19):
when you take a look at what he was able
to do. What was what was the locker room like
after the game, What was the atmosphere happy poet picks. Oh,
everybody was right. Everybody was happy for him too. Hardy
can go and Pope chips on the bay, I kiss
some the bay guys. Check. Look at that cha they
love him, and well they should. He can dive them
(33:41):
perhaps out of the west of the problems against the
least in well for the NBA pis the night read
sixty one point twenty four or thirty five field goal.
Harkeena played two three throws a s and I was
(34:01):
out in forty five night because you know, big Fellow
was good to everybody in the locker room. So we
were all happy, you know, for him to to have
that on his birthday and to and to play well,
so everybody because he was He was a good team
at everybody, you know what I mean, he when he
came down to it. I don't think there's many teammates
that can say they didn't like Shock as a team.
(34:21):
It's kind of hard now to oh, we're bouncing around, man,
jumping on the big fella, congratulating him. He was like, man,
and you can hear him very time. Then I could
have had more. I could have had more, Like, yeah,
you got sixty one, big felt you gotta be happy
with that, but yeah, you could have got more. And yeah,
we was throwing towns on it, you know, hitting him
the water ball, and it was it was fun, man,
(34:42):
because like I said, man, you Shack. Shack's a great
dude man, and and that was a special night for him,
and we wanted to make sure that we showed the
greatest appreciation that we could. It was a special night
off the court and on the court. Um Shock is
just such a unique individual. Have you seen anyone or
(35:03):
can you think of anyone that has his combination of size,
of skill, of strength, all the things that he brings
to the table. Had you ever seen anyone or anything
like that, or even watching recently, No, I haven't seen
anything like Shack with his size, and no one realized
(35:23):
like what he like, how mobile he is, how great
the hands he had. I mean, this guy can break dance,
He can dance, he can run, you know what I mean.
He's athletic. His lower half is like cement, like from
his hips, his button, his thighs are like you can't
move him. And it's they're they're huge. And so it's
(35:46):
not even a fair it's not a fair fight. It's
not It's like his base is so strong. He's so strong.
I mean, it's like guys hanging on him and he
still can just like nothing happened. He would always want
fouls in the restaurant like you know, I can't call it.
I mean, yeah, we never five our game because literally
(36:08):
you can't. There's nothing you can do about it. And
so I don't think we'll we'll see anything like that
with size, skill and agility. Is there anyone you watch
that reminds you of him now compared to Shack Well,
I mean that would be hard to say, because who
posted who posted up in the game now? Nobody really,
I mean you got him be who post up every
(36:30):
now and then? And outside of that, you don't have
a big guy that's dominant in the paint like that.
So it's it's there isn't anyone that's like him in
the league today. No one, I mean, no one's that dumbinant.
No one's such a force in the paint like he
he was. So yeah, it's you can't compare anybody too
(36:53):
in today's game. I mean, most of the centers now
are much better ball handlers and of the three point shooters.
That's that would be the biggest difference between the centers
today and and Sequille O'Neil love yesterday. But I would
take that dominance and and Shack versus the centers up
(37:15):
today because they still can't compare to him. I would say,
if there's a person not their game, but like their mentality,
I would say, your honest, you know, because he honest
is always kind of like going hard. He's always trying
to dunk on you. He's always trying to block your shot.
(37:35):
He's always snarling. That's that's kind of chat was he
was mean he played me. Shaq was not there Kiki
laughing and joking and buddy buddy and hugging guys. He
was coming out trying to take your fronts out, you
know what I mean. If you get you, you know
you're getting his way. And so he didn't. You know,
he'd be nicest guy, a big teddy bear after the game,
(37:56):
but when the game started, elbows flying and if he
wasn'tetting calls, it's on. So I would say if anybody,
I would say, y honest because of his mentality, because
he ya, he goes. I mean every play he going in,
he's he's trying to block a shot, he's trying to
dunk on you. He's trying to do whatever you can do. Really,
(38:19):
here's a quote from Shock for t nt S Inside
the NBA. I would have been the Greek freak. A
guy that can dribble, can handle, can go to the
hole with force, do that kick it to guards. I
tried to do that, but my coaches weren't having it.
I don't see Yann's posting up though. I mean, Yanna
is great in the open floor. I mean because of
that length, he's able to take one or two dribbles
(38:42):
from half court and he's dunking. So I don't. I
don't know. Maybe maybe if Shack was a little more
athletic and slammer, maybe maybe, but I don't. I don't.
I really don't see in comparison. I'm not talked to
the big fellow about that one. I gotta he gotta
have to. We're not going to argue, you know, I'm
gonna little that battle, but we'll try and convince him
(39:04):
to kind of sway away from that. What was the
chemistry of this group as a whole? Extremely tight, extremely
And it's like we landed New York. We had a
thing called dropping roll. We're traveling ten deep together, like
we dropped our bag off. Our luggage has our number
on it, so it's already gonna be in our room
when we get back. The bag are laptops and stuff
(39:25):
that we had on the plane. We dropped that we
called the dropping roll. We dropped the backpack off in
our room, turn right back and around. We're beating the lobby.
We're going to dinner, We're going wherever we need to go.
Um and then we just have this tradition to in
the in the playoffs, every round we were gonna go
rent a spot out. I was kind of in charge
of that, go figuring that out where we're gonna go
have dinner and get a back room. We'd all go
(39:47):
have drinks dinner after kind of like a celebration each round.
So round one is over, okay, let's get it set up.
We're gonna be over here, We're gonna have drinks, we're
all gonna go out. Because then we would have you know,
five six sometimes a week in between the other teams.
You know, we're you know, wait to see who we play,
so we would use that time for that. That's amazing,
(40:08):
dropping roll, dropping roll, drop your backpack off in the
room and let's roll. Let's do one on five up
to play. We'll ever forget this night. Textually one calling
Jack one eight stress Bay, just what a crisis inside is.
From my perspective, it was a beautiful thing to see
because you know, you got you got a guy that's
(40:31):
dominating that weight and it's on his birthday. You don't
It ain't too many times you get that combination together
like that. And and to see him happy, I mean,
he's the best thing ever is to just see Shock atty.
I mean, he's always happy. But when you get that
blood extra twinkle in his eyes, I mean, it makes
you feel good. Man. Because the big guy, believe it
or not, I mean, because he's so big, he he
(40:53):
gets kind of treated unfairly when he's posting up. You know,
guys are able to hang on him a little bit more,
beat on a little bit more so when you when
you're able to see him get that kind of reward. Man,
it it's a great field. The only thing that upset
me about the game is I think we have five
minutes left. I think I could have won for seven
or possibly eighty for the game. You know, Phil took
(41:14):
me out. Shock was subbed out with two minutes thirty
five seconds on the clock. That aside, here's Glenn Rice.
He was a little tired, but still that ship. I mean,
he would have listen, he could have got the sixty nine.
I think three minutes a long time. All you gotta
do it rundown, throw it in the pain. He's gonna
get founder hes gonna score. All you need is about
(41:35):
three or four trips three minutes. You're gonna get more
than three or four trips. Where they are I'll decide
this NBA history, so Tree, it's really no hiding who's
(41:59):
shock here. I mean what you see every day and
whether you see it on TV or TikTok or his funnies, Uh,
that's who he is. I mean, it's he puts it
all out there and then and honestly, I think that
that's what makes him great. He's very approachable and man,
you don't you don't have a bad day around the guy.
(42:21):
And that's that's special. That's very very special. I was
just gonna say, I mean when you think of Magic Johnson,
I mean, you know, both of them got the great characters,
great smile, happy all the time. I mean, that's you know,
I would I would be dumb said here and not
think that he didn't get some guidance from Magic, because
(42:42):
those are the two when you want to talk about
how to act after your career and off the court,
and you know, get in there and get a lot
of endorsements. Both of them. They're pre accurate with what
they do and how they handle things. Happy Birthday, Shock.
We can only imagine what the birthday party was like.
It was a hell of a party. It wasn't but
(43:04):
the party was that. It was that. It was an
aquario m h. It was nice and I pulled up
in that white compredible rolls. Royce was a music players
about It was me and Uncle Ja Wrong. Yeah, I
(43:32):
remember the party, but I it would be a violation
if I told you how the party went. Let's just
say we all had good clean fund, good clean fund. Shock. Shock.
I mean, come on, I mean I have a game
like he had. How can you not go and be
I mean, he's going to be the hit of his
party anyway, but that just added some extra icing on
(43:56):
the cake to going there and know you scored sixty
one points. I mean, he he was flawless. And to
see the big fellow, I mean we he's always runn
around joking, being happy, but that day it was special.
I mean it was special for not just Shock, but
for us to see him go out and do what
(44:16):
he did and obviously, you know, you know, running up
to being the m v P and all and that
it was just perfect. Let me, have you ever seen
one on man his house? I appreciate you asking, Glenn no,
but I would accept an invite any time the kids
that that kids. He's special man, and he he does
some special things. Man does. He does a lot of
(44:36):
different things that that make you just say wow, i'
even think somebody could even think that that could even
be created. And but that shock. I mean you look
at the things that he's doing now, you know both
you know, just him being him, is television things that
he does, his endorsement, he's he's probably the funniest big
man of all time. And that's shack Man. It's it's
(45:00):
a very likable guy and he can be serious at times.
I mean, you know, hey, that game. I remember some
times when he didn't get the ball, he got to say, hey,
you know, I'm hot, get the ball to me and
didn't said it to me, but I you know, he
said it to some other folks. But yeah, I mean
he's a special dude all the way around, both on
the court and off the court. Special guy. Now, I
(45:23):
just want to say a happy birthday, big fella, and listen.
I wish if we had an opportunity to do that
game over. We'll make sure you get seventy one. NBA
Flashback is a production of I Heart Radio and the NBA.
For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
podcast
NBA Flashback is a production of I Heart Radio in
the NBA in the middle of Happy Birthday, twenty eight
birthday for Chaquille O'Neal. Happy birthday, Shack, twenty eight years
(00:22):
of eight. Just think twenty years ago tonight he was
sleeping in a crib big Oh, what does my old Neil?
He does it all. He is the complete package. Like
(00:48):
your song on the more smarm margin. He's talking to Oh,
Neil wants the more take down. I think he's trying
to score now. I mean looking maybe a new career
birthday lable pay year. Shaquille O'Neill the diesel maybe the
(01:24):
most physically dominating man ever to play the game, and
in two thousand he had one of the best years
anyone has ever seen. He won the scoring title, he
was the league MVP, he led the Lakers to the championship,
and on his birthday, he dropped his career high sixty
one points on the Clippers. I'm Sarah Comstock and you're
(01:48):
listening to NBA Flashback, the show that takes you back
to the greatest moments in NBA history, using archival audio
from the NBA as well as new interviews with the
players and coaches who were in the building on today's
episode of NBA Flashback. We go back to March six,
two thousand, when Say My Name by Destiny's Child was
(02:12):
the number one song in the world, Survivor was about
to change reality TV forever, and Blockbuster Video turned down
the opportunity to buy Netflix for fifty million dollars. Whoops.
We're talking with Devin George, who was Shock's teammate on
the Lakers for five years, winning three NBA titles, And
(02:33):
we also spoke with Glenn Rice, who spent two seasons
on the Lakers and was a three time All Star.
About the night Shock voted all the Clippers Big Men
off the Island and scored his career high sixty one
points while celebrating his twenty eight birthday. Devin, first off,
thank you for joining us and and digging back a
little bit on some of these great memories that you
(02:54):
had throughout the course of your career. Yes, no problem,
you guys are taking me way back. But remember, I
mean these were these were life you know, changing experiences,
so so I remember like like nothing. But we are
taking you back because this is back to your rookie year.
You were coming from Augsburg College, a D three school,
and you were jumping right in with the Lakers. Kobe Shack,
(03:17):
Phil Jackson, What type of experience was this for you?
And just how you were just thrown right into the
fire in such a tremendous opportunity it was. It's crazy
because I always tell people that, you know, I always
compare these things like the guys that played at North
Carolina when they go to a small market team like
(03:38):
Milwaukee Bucks or Timberwolves at time, that's a big jump.
You know, they were at North Carolina, they were at Duke.
You know, there's a big are on TV. It's still
a big jump when you come to the NBA. I
was at a D three school with with you know,
fifty people in the stands, you know, on the nightly basis,
and then I go from that to the Lakers. Not
only to the Lakers, then Phil was there. Phil Jackson
(04:00):
was just hired. Kobe, it was just showtime. So just
imagine the jump that I had to go through. Not
only you know, it's a big jump for me to
go from Ogsburg to like Duke or but I went
from I surpassed all of that. But you know, so
that was what I was dealing with, you know, at
this time, and then you know, my rookie year. I
was just really just trying to soak it all in
and just kind of get used to everything the life.
(04:21):
Ask a lot of questions, be seen, not heard, shut
my mouth up, do my job, because I'm just trying
to figure things out. We had a star studded, heavy
veteran team that just had a lot of experience, and
it was just really crazy because a year later, I'm
in my dorm room watching these guys and now I'm
on the same team. So it was it was a
little adjustment, but I was just taking it all in.
(04:43):
But it was really just just I mean everything, the
amount of people that's always around, and it was just
like kind of media. It was just really something that
I had to really get used to, and I just
so but for the first parts of the season, I
just kind of really just stayed quiet. I didn't really
say much. It was just trying to figure things out.
The team itself, though obviously very good. You'd won fifteen
(05:03):
in a row coming into this game. You talk about
being a rookie head down, just trying to take it
all in, But was there a feel that this team
was on the verge of being something special. Yeah, because
we that that year. I mean we had multiple like
long streets. We had fifteen and then nineteen I think
we did, and so we put together a couple of
(05:24):
like really big streaks during that season. But I definitely
felt like it was this was something special, you know,
because I was an NBA fan of why I was
watching all the games in college and as as a youngster,
and I kind of saw like how this was going.
I'm like, this is this is something different. I think
coach was the final piece, Phil Jackson kind of putting
everything together because a lot of these Laker teams always
(05:46):
had talent, you know, they just needed somebody to put
it right, the right system. And when Phil came in
the credibility he had the stripes that he had who
he coached the greatest probably of all time. Everyone else
will fall in line. If he tells us, dude, this, this,
and this, Everybody's gonna fall in line. What was special
about him, what made him different? His knowledge of the
(06:07):
game and his vision of like he would predict the games,
like how the flow would go, what players to kind
of use in different situations, understanding the other team's strengths
and us hiding our weaknesses. He was great at that.
You know. He would come in with a game plan
of saying, hey, I know all year long, I yell
(06:30):
at you guys for throwing the ball to this area
this game, throw it there all you want to, and
it would just work. He was like ten steps ahead
of everybody else, the other coaches. He knew all their plays,
even though we had assistant coaches that had like each
coach had maybe ten teams, eight teams you know that
they would scout for. When it came down to it,
he knew all of the other teams plays. If they
(06:52):
went over something to the scouting report, he would raise
his hand. Okay, wait, go over the other creel move
that they do? Which one is that? All? The one
they called this? He do every plays of the other teams.
And so that was that was I think that was his, uh,
his advantage all those things. What was your relationship like
with Shack Your rookie year, rookie year? It was great.
(07:12):
Shock was like Santa Claus and Big Brother, because you know,
we didn't get paid until like, you know, November. You know,
obviously we're there all summer and ball and whatnot part
of the season that already started until we get our
first paycheck. So Shack was like he really gives Shack
of clause. I mean he was just giving us, you know,
the young guys that that we didn't get paid money.
And so I mean he was always having me do something.
(07:35):
I had to go get him headphones. I had to
you know, always do something. But he took care of
us on the other end. But so Shack was like
a good big brother, good mentor. He knew when to
be serious sometimes pull it aside and I need to
do this, don't do this. And so great leader spoke
up for the guys. He took the lead if if
(07:55):
coach wasn't giving us time off for too many days,
or we hadn't had a day off and practic. This
hed come to guys that you need to practice meet
day off guys, you know, and he come in, coach,
we ain't practicing, My guys need a day off. We're
not practicing. Nope. And so he he was that type
of leader of like speaking for everybody in leading and
you know, taking control of the locker room. Was there
(08:17):
that mutual respect between him and Phil Jackson, Oh, Yeah,
he would definitely listen to him. He would definitely take
his advice if we needed it. That's amazing. You would
talked about Shaq being a big brother type figure. Do
you Is there anything you recall of a conversation that
he pulled you aside or when he was serious or anything. Um,
any moment that really stands out to you. Probably one
(08:41):
moment when we play Minnesota. I had my mom cook,
I bring all the guys out to the house and
and he really took me to the side and said,
you know, what I was doing was smart and gave
me good sound advice. You know, you got your mom
house it snad and um, he didn't go overboard. And
so we've had those good conversation. We had a lot
of money conversations, you know, about saving your money, doing this,
(09:03):
you know, what to do with it. But all the
guys were I think that was part of, you know,
the reason I didn't get ripped off maybe some of
these other guys that some of these financial guys are doing,
because I would go back to them with questions like, Hey,
what about this, what about what about that? And they're like,
hell are you talking to Like so either somebody's watching me,
or you're paying attention, so um. But they would go
(09:26):
and they ask you a financial guy this, ask him this,
tell him to set this up for you, and I
would go and they kind of be like, you know,
someone's watching for this kid because he don't know what
he's doing. So I think maybe that have helped me.
And Shaq was honest. He was honest with the team
about his health, how he was feeling that day, if
he was in the mood, if he wasn't a mood.
(09:47):
He was always a prankster. He always found each day
to to find some way to prank somebody or to
do something silly. But when he came to seven thirty,
when it came game time, he would go to either
role players or me and slam us against the wall, like, hey,
I need you tonight, like you know, on a decoy tonight.
My ankle hurts, I'm not going to be able to
(10:07):
do it. Just throw it to me. I'm pretending like
I can do it. My back hurt, whatever it is.
And then there's some nights like this night, which I
remember exactly on his birthday. I don't know if he
got a great meal in, he got a good map
in but he was adamant, like bring it to me.
I can't tell you you know what what he really said,
you know how what he called us, But he's like,
bring it to me. That's all he kept saying is
(10:28):
bring it to me. He was just determined. So whatever
he had or whatever he ate, he was on one.
And it was apparent from shoot around to pre game
to the last twenty minutes before we go out. He
was reminded us, all bring it to me. It's it's
it's it today. Do you think that was? So? Was
this birthday? Do you think that was a birthday thing?
Was it just the night? I don't know, but you
(10:51):
asked anybody else, and he was letting them know, like
that day, like bring it to me. Who I feel good?
He must have woke up on the right side of
bed or whatever, but he was. He was really really
saying bring it to me. We did ask someone else,
Glenn Rice, another one of shocks teammates on that two
thousand team. Oh yeah, that was that was Devin was
a right on point. Right before the game. It was,
(11:12):
you know, Shock's birthday, and he wanted to really go
out and do something special. We just didn't really we
didn't understand how special it was gonna be. Uh he
said that for some reason. He just said his body
was feeling great that day. Are No. Eight. He was
in a very happy mood, and uh he was like, look,
get me the ball. I can dominate tonight. And you
(11:33):
know when a player like him say get him the ball,
he dominated. I mean it was special. I mean he
this man was hitting everything. He was even hitting free throw.
I mean that was you know, he's in the shop,
but he was in his group. Teammates say he was
fired up. But the Lakers got off to a rough
start in this one, and the Lakers have not come
(11:53):
out sharply, not at all. Check. It's March six, two thousand,
otherwise known as the Day of shock Shack Day birthday.
Wishes abound. The legendary chickern and Stu Lance had the
(12:15):
call for kcal in l A and NOL Laders and
gentlemen live from the magnificent Fabull Center and downtown Los
Angeles Tonight, gun Rice Lobert, Aori n Harper, Very Fisher
and the Los Angeles Lakers meet the Los Angeles Clippers.
Everybody oh a bed leg shack just to ride keep
(12:36):
that away from my toilet, the shackles, Look at shacks,
look at the calf, look at the coach. This it
is eight birthday, Happy birthday. That coat that could be
a bit spread, Well, if it was a bit spread,
it would be a king's size beard, that's for sure.
I'll let Chick give you some more context. If the
Lakers are gonna get their sixteenth consecutive win for the
second time this year, they've got to beat the Clippers tonight. Now,
(12:59):
the Clippers haven't done much in the way of stopping
them in the first three games they've played, but this
is a new night, and they could make their entire
season with a victory. Which you can believe me, they
are going to come out guns are blazing to night
because they don't have anything to lose, they have everything
to gain. So the Lakers focus has to be there early.
The drought is gonna be We're told in excess of
twenty thousand fans for the Laker games. You don't get
(13:21):
that many in here, but the configuration for Clipper games
is different, and the crowd scenes pretty well divided. Yeah, well,
they love both, but they love their Lakers. Check recalled
the start of that game for open court on NBA TV.
So you know, the game start and the Clippers are
killing us. But Clippers are killing and then Phil he
starts yelling at me and the Lakers have not come
(13:42):
out sharp, not at all. Chick down four to one play,
but a lot of game the Lakers have Hatch starts
like this during the street and all the guys are
looking at me, so you know, give me the ball.
You guys got off to a slow start, which relatively speaking,
it was a one start. But he calls the time out.
A team called the Laker coach wants the time out.
I don't blame it at all. He's probably getting sex watching. Yeah,
(14:05):
when he takes your time out this earlier, you know
he's not very happy. Nine minutes and seven seconds going
the first Can you think back, and maybe not that
that instance in particular, but how he was early on
what he might be saying, um, just his philosophy and
and how he was able to group you guys in.
So if people realize Piel likes to start like he'll
(14:27):
call an early time out eight one, they're going a
team go on early run, He'll call He'll help us
out early in the game. But a lot of people
didn't understand. Like during the game, a team going a
fifteen old run and coach would sit over there, legs crossed.
We're looking at him to call it time out. He's
telling us, I'm not bailing you guys out. Figure it
out on your own. It's amazing. Chicken Lakers obviously not
(14:48):
playing well at all. Look over Coach Jackson sitting there,
makes crossed. I don't think he's on the bus, Like
we need a time out. Coach, He's like, nope, no
time out. Figured it out on your own. But early on,
you know, he usually likes to qual of time out,
settle us down. You know, even at halftime of games
we're down twenty points, he coaches cracking jokes. He always
wanted to keep it light. You know, he come in
(15:10):
and we're down by twenty points and he's like, well
that's we got it right where we want them. You know,
here we go. But you know, it was just his
philosophy kind of keeping guys loose and not panicking, because
that was like his whole thing of like if he panics,
then we're all going to panic. So he wants to
keep everybody else coming. We see him, he's not, he's
not tripping, So you know, we kind of keep a relax.
(15:30):
You know, there's some coaches they're yelling we lose, We're
gonna lose. Then everybody else gets frantic. And so that
was his philosophy. But I can't really remember what was said.
But his philosophy really was just to kind of stop
what was going on early and then let us figure
it out as we get, you know, go through the game.
With that being said, um, no one on the Lakers
this night had played more than twenty nine minutes, except
(15:52):
for Shack, who played forty four. Was that Phil was
that shock saying keep me in? What how do you
think the dynamic worked without Well, I'll tell you this.
I mean, I'm sure it had something to do he
would want to stay in, But that I think a
lot of that those minutes are on field because Phil
would never ever ever take him by the game. So
(16:12):
and that's why you know him and Codd in practice,
they usually didn't practice a lot. They would sit there
and talk about us and laugh and instigate, you know,
stuff that's going on on the sideline because they played
heavy minutes. But Phil wouldn't He would take him by
of the game. He'd look over and ask coach, give
me a break, and you're like, no, He'll call it
time out. Here's your break. You have him sit down, Okay,
(16:34):
get a break. You need another break. He'll wait, and
you know, coach shacks like, give me out of game.
I need a break. You call the time out. Get
another break. He would call time out if he need
to break. He would not sell by the game. No,
you're not going another game. So he said, you'll get
the day off tomorrow. Check back in turn, he jumper
on his first day is good, that's his first first
(16:54):
day baster FSTA and he won't do his laugh. So no,
him paying heavy in. It has to do with with
Bill a lot. I'm starting to go to work and
I'm getting the ball and I'm looking. I'm like, oh,
you gotta Pete Chill cut on there. You're not going double.
The Clippers put Pete Chill cut on him, and he
definitely didn't have a chance. Shack just ate him alive.
Scored every time barbecue. So they had Pete taking me,
(17:20):
They had had Anthony Avans taking me, and then they
tried to hack a shack thing and I had to
get my elbow and let my name was Dennis Skot
as long as I got to line up, and there
they got with Chill Cut guarding Shack and going for
a thousand and he should he they should go in
the shock every time, down into the defense that you're absolutely, um,
did you did? You often see the opponents just throughout
(17:43):
the course of the season just give up and just
get crushed. I tell you this, and I think who's
We used to laugh? Oh, we used to laugh at
it because you would literally see pregame warm upline the
other big man like, man, what I gotta deal with you, Mike,
Like they're like, list is not really you can see
like them thinking like I'm not trying to deal with it.
(18:04):
And it's crazy how the game has shifted. You know.
Now it's more guard driven. But my rookie year it
was still like center driven, you know, because the centers
used to be the La Juan Patrick hun Shocks, you know,
all of them, the Kareems. It was. It was center
dominated in big Man, and then it was not only
the center, but the fours were like a beast, like
(18:25):
the Rashid Wallace's and the Karl Malone's. The power forward
was like the Kevin Garnets, the Tim Duncan's. It was
like a big man forward kind of driven league then,
and so you would see teams get all these centers.
You'd have a team full of centers. Well, why because
you gotta guard. You know you're gonna play against Shack.
You need bodies. He'll file, He'll file the first two
(18:47):
centers out. You know, in the first half, Montt called
on him and he goes over and tells little Joy
that that's because he knows all of his files have
to be saved for number thirty four on the office
the team, and that's Shaquille O'Neill. He can't pick up
any chief pius in the process of guarding shots. And
so you had to stack your team with with seven footers.
(19:08):
Didn't matter if they could play or die. Like, hey
you seven ft okay, we'll sign you up because you
gotta play shots. So that's how the game has changed.
But yeah, it was. It was heavily center dominant and
power forward. If you go back and look, Glenn Rice
had some sympathy as well. It ain't the fact that
they give up, it's just they realized that they just
can't do what you can't do anything either. You're gonna
(19:28):
file him. You're just gonna make you look really bad.
And you gotta just decide which medicine you're gonna take.
You're filing and hope that he go to the free
throw line and miss, or do you just just bear
through the punishment. Most guys, most guys trying to bear
through the punishment because they're big men's. I mean, they
gotta he goes to They want to go out there
(19:48):
and test their might against the almighty Shock. And if
I was a big man, I wouldn't piss him. If
I'd offer him cookies, you know, offer him you know, hey,
I go take it to the mall. Let's go shopping.
I try and be as nice as possible so he
can get a quiet thirty on me, not a thunder
is sixty one. He's the most dominant big man to
(20:11):
play the game outside of whilk chamber. It's hard to
stop him. Uh. At halftime, Shock has twenty six points.
The locker room is he's still saying, give it to me,
give it to me. Was there any talk about how
many he could get? Yeah, and you know, and the
and the easiest nights for him to get those those
points like that where it really kind of goes by
everyone's head is when it's like a real competitive game
(20:32):
over losing, overre not playing good. So it's like him
getting up lots of shots and him going and playing
and shooting. It kind of skims over everybody. It doesn't
look like, oh, he's taking a lot of shots, because
it's kind of in the floor of the game when
you're losing or when you're down. It really is. It's
hard to see it, but he's still feeling good, telling us,
bring it to me, bring it to me. Glenn Rice
(20:53):
also shared his memories of halftime. We were talking about
getting him the ball more, but we had no idea
that he was gonna go out and get, you know,
the sixty one, a career high. We knew it was he.
He would tell us it's easy down, they're just getting
me the ball. We're just all right, you know, if
you got position, you know what, You're gonna get the
ball every time until you get tired. I'm not gonna
(21:13):
get tired, Okay, then it's coming to you. And he
didn't get tired. The ball came to him and he
got the sixty one in this game. In particular. Uh,
we think about shock and the power and the fourth
he is on the inside. But he was using that
little baby baby hook right hand over his left shoulder. Uh,
was that one of his go to moves? What? What
(21:34):
do you think about when you think about some of
some of his go to His go to was was
was his power? And really you know he know he
had great counter moves. But that game, I remember him
just showing us everything and him saying, this is why
I'm like one of the best big man ever because
(21:56):
I remember like him doing his fade away shot about
out to Kobe back in the shock, Shack cherious. That's good.
Heven doing his power dunk, blow up lettle back, save
a big seller. Don't do him like that, him doing
his finesse. He made a perfect pass over the basket
(22:19):
and shock with the right hand. Brol But that's the
first time the Ls have punished the half the full
court press. You do that enough time and you really
take the spirit out of the players. Defensively, they don't
want to do that. And Ory with the nice pass
and shock because he this is Shack's birthday and he's
got twenty five point he might go for fifty to
night on his birthday. He definitely him doing his finger
(22:41):
roll in the shack. He's un the bat because finger
rolls it in, you don't see him. Finger rolls are
very often at that time, not very often, but get
footwalks up time and neber him to get in a
position to do it and means you put your palm
toward the ceiling and let roll off your fingers. I
remember him doing him. He even hit a few free throws.
You know that game. Shack has fust free throwout at night.
(23:04):
But he's only a free throw shooting this year. But
in his last four games he's shooting sixty two percent.
I said, only fifty. That's you. We're a pretty good
considering where he was gonna. He's got the lucky bounced
on this him. But he got the lucky bounds because
it was a soft shot. It was a shooter shot.
I remember capping it off. He even was going to
coast to coast a few times. He was running the floor.
(23:24):
Why was he running the floor a birthday race? Can't
beat everybody down the floor. That's seven one twenty pounds
stretching out. He said, gets me if you can at
a bad file, that time by Pete Chill cut give
him the Lakers Shaquille O'Neil a chance at a three
point play. If you're not gonna wrap him up, you
(23:45):
might as well just let him go shock at the
line and see if he can complete that same. If
he makes this free throw, he equals his season high
at one. You know, he's only nine points away from
fifty if he makes this, and we're the third and
the third not like can see him leaving them and
I don't know if they will four quarter to try
(24:05):
to get fifty four all time recordless. I don't think
there was anything he didn't do. He was blocking shots
and then like the top it off, he took it
coast to coast and through code alley oop like he
was the guard. It was a revert roll versal shot,
got it, you know, I think he got a rebound
or something, but he dribbled up and then through Kobe
(24:28):
reverse alley oop a dunk, you know, like a guard
would do. You know what's going on in his twenty
eight this and get around them. So I think that
game that stands out of my mind is like he
showed everything and he did it well, like everything shoes
free those baby hooks left right, power dunks, dribbling, ball handling,
(24:52):
running the floor, blocking shots. It's like, you know what else?
Do what? There's nothing else you can do with this guy,
you know, And so he showed it all. You know,
you get thirty, right, and like, man, I didn't get forty,
so I got forty right. I was like, man, I
can't get fifty, so now and I got fifty guys
who are like, go get six and go get six.
Kobe was still years old. He was in his third
(25:15):
year in the league. He was actually younger than you
were in your rookie season. At what point did you
realize or did you realize at that time that he
would end up being one of the all time grades.
It took me, I would say, like my second third year.
I started to see like the god given ability that
(25:37):
he was given. And he would like, have me stay
after practice, a guard me this way, don't let me
go this way, push me this way, hit me here, no,
stay here, push me out, and he would work on
certain things and he would bring it to the game
later on that day or the next day. Is it
like he've been working at it all summer when most
(25:58):
of us, most guys that understand basketball. That that played
like it's a process. When we're working on different things
putting in our game. You know, we go at night,
we shoot, we we bring our boys to the gym,
we have our boys guard us. We bring it to practice,
we try that practice, then we bring it to the game.
He works on something for like ten minutes and then
he'll bring it to the game and does it like
(26:19):
he's been working on it all summer. And he was
able to put things in his game so quick like
that that no one else can do that. And that's
when you realize, man, this guy's got something special. Man
that you can say all you want to the work ethic,
and his work ethic is unbelievable. But it was just
that I think it was just that ability he can
just put something in his game. Up. I want to
(26:39):
do left hooks now, I mean it's gonna take most
of us to do it. He'll just okay, guard me
this way. He'll start working on left hooks and he'll
do it in the game. Is it like he's been
practiced it for months. And so that was one of
the things that sat like, this is not normal. He's
got thirkey on points wrong about Kobe. Corse Kobe and
shot my total up the one of the Lakers sixty two.
(27:03):
How the ball over due here on green stop, Banks
shot sixting. Look he got robbed and the rebounders off
the hearts. I passed, shrieking public what I passed and
what I finished? Time out? What was your relationship like
with him? It was very good, and it was as
a rookie coming in. You know, he was sitting in
(27:25):
the back of the bus, be quiet, cannot be, not
getting too much involved in a banter or whatnot. But
every summer after the season whatever, he would call me,
always make sure I'm doing like, working on my game,
working on this, make sure you this okay, we're gonna see.
We'll see if you've been working on it. Um. I
think he just took a liking to m because I
passed his you know, his rookie whatever. He has a
(27:48):
rookie test, and as a rookie he tries to go
ask you like he tries to destroy you. And he
would always try to match up with me. Coach would
pair me with two other guys. He would switch with
the other guy. Coach would put two guys you to
go at it. I turned around and he switched with
the other guy. I'm like, what is this? You know
what's going on with this dude? And I'm like, so
(28:09):
we would just battle, go battle. I wouldn't say anything,
and I'll start like kind of ask the trainers like
did I do so? Like I don't even say anything,
I don't talk like what I do to do. He's like, no, no, no,
just just keep doing what you're doing. He this is
his thing, is what he does. And you know, from
that point if he if you competeed and you getting
back down, he loved you. He loved he just wanted
(28:30):
you know. But the guys, I know, we have a
problem with with the guys that game time come around
and they're like, my shoulder hurts a little bit. And
he didn't really couldn't really ride with that, like you
show you what he like your shoulder, Yeah, this is
a little sore, you know, And he's like, uh, then
he had a hard time with those type of guys.
Was there any conversation or a bit of advice that
(28:53):
stands out with you through the years that that he
gave you that really resonated. Yeah? Oh yeah, I mean
he was he was always big after games, you know
what I need to do, things that need to work on,
you know, picking up like, hey, you're still not doing this,
or you need to use your left war you need
to you know. He was always big on that. But
but one of the big things that really um got
(29:14):
me is is, you know, my contract was up after
my third year, and he was in there every day
helping me get my contract, you know, for them to
resign me for the four additional years. And so he
was there every day, called me, hey, to get the
numbers right. Nope, not yet, they get the numbers right. Okay,
I'm being there and so you know, and they told
me that too when I signed and said, you know,
Cold is in there every day making sure you get that, said,
(29:35):
I know he was calling me. So yeah, I was
always in debt with him, even when he was that
year with Adidas. He spoke on on behalf, Yeah, I
like this guy, like this kid on my team, get
him when he needs to get and so he was
always been a good spokesman for me. Up next, Devin
has forgotten his role in Shock sixty one point. Don't worry.
We reminded him less than four minutes ago. You guys
(30:07):
are big, and Phil puts you in in the crowded.
The crowd is just nuts at that point because obviously
everyone's watching the scoring of shock. You get a rebound,
you give it. The Kobe dishes a shock for his
sixty and sixty first points. What was that feeling? Do
you even remember? Did you even realize that? I don't
(30:28):
go about check up by George again, by jobs by George.
We'll get a chat to get back to show shots, say,
oh man six one. I mean, I know I got
in coach with Toby it. I remember, like even my
(30:48):
rookie year, either we got the full end of the
game or when there was like an energy low, he
would always kind of throw me in, like, you know,
get get a spark, get some rebounds, run around, you know,
just to kind of pick up the picked up the
pace of the game. But I don't remember when or
how I got into this game. I don't remember. It
was a long time. Well, now you gotta start telling
that story. You were, you were, you were part of it,
(31:10):
You were part of I was the was they called
it the hockey assists? Yeah, the hockey assist to get
for shocks sixty one, because I got it, gave it
the cold cold So yeah, yeah, put that, put that down.
Put that down in the record book. Um, speaking of
those two, right right after he scored his last basket,
he threw a perfect alley oop to Kobe and watching back, yes,
(31:34):
I remembered that. Yes we heard this clip earlier, but
we gotta listen again. Howdy me, God, he knows what's
going on in is twenty eight one day under the
assist and Toby makes this packet or underneath I'm in
seven point and the seven I gotta take shot out
(31:56):
the next step do not retesting. So what do you
make of that? The the idea of him immediately doing that,
and also just the connection in chemistry that they had together.
So you know, I think there was one thing that
I think was overhyped, is like the beef between them two.
They had a little they had a big brother little
(32:16):
brother relationship, but really playing together for the most part,
they would work together and feed off of each other.
When we're going over our game plan, we're going over
what we need to do, our strategies, they're talking a
codes like a set my pick here, He's like get
me the ball here. They're working together all the other stuff. Yes,
they had a little big brother relationship, but I don't
(32:37):
think it was I think it was a little it
was blown out of proportion because we're there every day.
I think with the allue, the connection to chemistry, I
think for me memory that was like the cherry on
the top for him to show I can do everything.
It's like he got the ball and he's like, okay,
guards are usually doing this, this is what I can do,
(32:57):
and he the roles were reversed. He threw hold the allee,
and I think it was just like, Okay, that's enough.
You showed us everything you can do. I think that
was the last thing that he didn't do that game
was getting like a guard and throw alle you to cod.
So he finishes sixty one points, twenty three rebounds. He
was twenty four thirty five efficient night and just stunning
(33:19):
when you take a look at what he was able
to do. What was what was the locker room like
after the game, What was the atmosphere happy poet picks. Oh,
everybody was right. Everybody was happy for him too. Hardy
can go and Pope chips on the bay, I kiss
some the bay guys. Check. Look at that cha they
love him, and well they should. He can dive them
(33:41):
perhaps out of the west of the problems against the
least in well for the NBA pis the night read
sixty one point twenty four or thirty five field goal.
Harkeena played two three throws a s and I was
(34:01):
out in forty five night because you know, big Fellow
was good to everybody in the locker room. So we
were all happy, you know, for him to to have
that on his birthday and to and to play well,
so everybody because he was He was a good team
at everybody, you know what I mean, he when he
came down to it. I don't think there's many teammates
that can say they didn't like Shock as a team.
(34:21):
It's kind of hard now to oh, we're bouncing around, man,
jumping on the big fella, congratulating him. He was like, man,
and you can hear him very time. Then I could
have had more. I could have had more, Like, yeah,
you got sixty one, big felt you gotta be happy
with that, but yeah, you could have got more. And yeah,
we was throwing towns on it, you know, hitting him
the water ball, and it was it was fun, man,
(34:42):
because like I said, man, you Shack. Shack's a great
dude man, and and that was a special night for him,
and we wanted to make sure that we showed the
greatest appreciation that we could. It was a special night
off the court and on the court. Um Shock is
just such a unique individual. Have you seen anyone or
(35:03):
can you think of anyone that has his combination of size,
of skill, of strength, all the things that he brings
to the table. Had you ever seen anyone or anything
like that, or even watching recently, No, I haven't seen
anything like Shack with his size, and no one realized
(35:23):
like what he like, how mobile he is, how great
the hands he had. I mean, this guy can break dance,
He can dance, he can run, you know what I mean.
He's athletic. His lower half is like cement, like from
his hips, his button, his thighs are like you can't
move him. And it's they're they're huge. And so it's
(35:46):
not even a fair it's not a fair fight. It's
not It's like his base is so strong. He's so strong.
I mean, it's like guys hanging on him and he
still can just like nothing happened. He would always want
fouls in the restaurant like you know, I can't call it.
I mean, yeah, we never five our game because literally
(36:08):
you can't. There's nothing you can do about it. And
so I don't think we'll we'll see anything like that
with size, skill and agility. Is there anyone you watch
that reminds you of him now compared to Shack Well,
I mean that would be hard to say, because who
posted who posted up in the game now? Nobody really,
I mean you got him be who post up every
(36:30):
now and then? And outside of that, you don't have
a big guy that's dominant in the paint like that.
So it's it's there isn't anyone that's like him in
the league today. No one, I mean, no one's that dumbinant.
No one's such a force in the paint like he
he was. So yeah, it's you can't compare anybody too
(36:53):
in today's game. I mean, most of the centers now
are much better ball handlers and of the three point shooters.
That's that would be the biggest difference between the centers
today and and Sequille O'Neil love yesterday. But I would
take that dominance and and Shack versus the centers up
(37:15):
today because they still can't compare to him. I would say,
if there's a person not their game, but like their mentality,
I would say, your honest, you know, because he honest
is always kind of like going hard. He's always trying
to dunk on you. He's always trying to block your shot.
(37:35):
He's always snarling. That's that's kind of chat was he
was mean he played me. Shaq was not there Kiki
laughing and joking and buddy buddy and hugging guys. He
was coming out trying to take your fronts out, you
know what I mean. If you get you, you know
you're getting his way. And so he didn't. You know,
he'd be nicest guy, a big teddy bear after the game,
(37:56):
but when the game started, elbows flying and if he
wasn'tetting calls, it's on. So I would say if anybody,
I would say, y honest because of his mentality, because
he ya, he goes. I mean every play he going in,
he's he's trying to block a shot, he's trying to
dunk on you. He's trying to do whatever you can do. Really,
(38:19):
here's a quote from Shock for t nt S Inside
the NBA. I would have been the Greek freak. A
guy that can dribble, can handle, can go to the
hole with force, do that kick it to guards. I
tried to do that, but my coaches weren't having it.
I don't see Yann's posting up though. I mean, Yanna
is great in the open floor. I mean because of
that length, he's able to take one or two dribbles
(38:42):
from half court and he's dunking. So I don't. I
don't know. Maybe maybe if Shack was a little more
athletic and slammer, maybe maybe, but I don't. I don't.
I really don't see in comparison. I'm not talked to
the big fellow about that one. I gotta he gotta
have to. We're not going to argue, you know, I'm
gonna little that battle, but we'll try and convince him
(39:04):
to kind of sway away from that. What was the
chemistry of this group as a whole? Extremely tight, extremely
And it's like we landed New York. We had a
thing called dropping roll. We're traveling ten deep together, like
we dropped our bag off. Our luggage has our number
on it, so it's already gonna be in our room
when we get back. The bag are laptops and stuff
(39:25):
that we had on the plane. We dropped that we
called the dropping roll. We dropped the backpack off in
our room, turn right back and around. We're beating the lobby.
We're going to dinner, We're going wherever we need to go.
Um and then we just have this tradition to in
the in the playoffs, every round we were gonna go
rent a spot out. I was kind of in charge
of that, go figuring that out where we're gonna go
have dinner and get a back room. We'd all go
(39:47):
have drinks dinner after kind of like a celebration each round.
So round one is over, okay, let's get it set up.
We're gonna be over here, We're gonna have drinks, we're
all gonna go out. Because then we would have you know,
five six sometimes a week in between the other teams.
You know, we're you know, wait to see who we play,
so we would use that time for that. That's amazing,
(40:08):
dropping roll, dropping roll, drop your backpack off in the
room and let's roll. Let's do one on five up
to play. We'll ever forget this night. Textually one calling
Jack one eight stress Bay, just what a crisis inside is.
From my perspective, it was a beautiful thing to see
because you know, you got you got a guy that's
(40:31):
dominating that weight and it's on his birthday. You don't
It ain't too many times you get that combination together
like that. And and to see him happy, I mean,
he's the best thing ever is to just see Shock atty.
I mean, he's always happy. But when you get that
blood extra twinkle in his eyes, I mean, it makes
you feel good. Man. Because the big guy, believe it
or not, I mean, because he's so big, he he
(40:53):
gets kind of treated unfairly when he's posting up. You know,
guys are able to hang on him a little bit more,
beat on a little bit more so when you when
you're able to see him get that kind of reward. Man,
it it's a great field. The only thing that upset
me about the game is I think we have five
minutes left. I think I could have won for seven
or possibly eighty for the game. You know, Phil took
(41:14):
me out. Shock was subbed out with two minutes thirty
five seconds on the clock. That aside, here's Glenn Rice.
He was a little tired, but still that ship. I mean,
he would have listen, he could have got the sixty nine.
I think three minutes a long time. All you gotta
do it rundown, throw it in the pain. He's gonna
get founder hes gonna score. All you need is about
(41:35):
three or four trips three minutes. You're gonna get more
than three or four trips. Where they are I'll decide
this NBA history, so Tree, it's really no hiding who's
(41:59):
shock here. I mean what you see every day and
whether you see it on TV or TikTok or his funnies, Uh,
that's who he is. I mean, it's he puts it
all out there and then and honestly, I think that
that's what makes him great. He's very approachable and man,
you don't you don't have a bad day around the guy.
(42:21):
And that's that's special. That's very very special. I was
just gonna say, I mean when you think of Magic Johnson,
I mean, you know, both of them got the great characters,
great smile, happy all the time. I mean, that's you know,
I would I would be dumb said here and not
think that he didn't get some guidance from Magic, because
(42:42):
those are the two when you want to talk about
how to act after your career and off the court,
and you know, get in there and get a lot
of endorsements. Both of them. They're pre accurate with what
they do and how they handle things. Happy Birthday, Shock.
We can only imagine what the birthday party was like.
It was a hell of a party. It wasn't but
(43:04):
the party was that. It was that. It was an
aquario m h. It was nice and I pulled up
in that white compredible rolls. Royce was a music players
about It was me and Uncle Ja Wrong. Yeah, I
(43:32):
remember the party, but I it would be a violation
if I told you how the party went. Let's just
say we all had good clean fund, good clean fund. Shock. Shock.
I mean, come on, I mean I have a game
like he had. How can you not go and be
I mean, he's going to be the hit of his
party anyway, but that just added some extra icing on
(43:56):
the cake to going there and know you scored sixty
one points. I mean, he he was flawless. And to
see the big fellow, I mean we he's always runn
around joking, being happy, but that day it was special.
I mean it was special for not just Shock, but
for us to see him go out and do what
(44:16):
he did and obviously, you know, you know, running up
to being the m v P and all and that
it was just perfect. Let me, have you ever seen
one on man his house? I appreciate you asking, Glenn no,
but I would accept an invite any time the kids
that that kids. He's special man, and he he does
some special things. Man does. He does a lot of
(44:36):
different things that that make you just say wow, i'
even think somebody could even think that that could even
be created. And but that shock. I mean you look
at the things that he's doing now, you know both
you know, just him being him, is television things that
he does, his endorsement, he's he's probably the funniest big
man of all time. And that's shack Man. It's it's
(45:00):
a very likable guy and he can be serious at times.
I mean, you know, hey, that game. I remember some
times when he didn't get the ball, he got to say, hey,
you know, I'm hot, get the ball to me and
didn't said it to me, but I you know, he
said it to some other folks. But yeah, I mean
he's a special dude all the way around, both on
the court and off the court. Special guy. Now, I
(45:23):
just want to say a happy birthday, big fella, and listen.
I wish if we had an opportunity to do that
game over. We'll make sure you get seventy one. NBA
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