Shaquille O’Neal must not watch much — if any — baseball. Any casual baseball fan can tell you who Mariano Rivera is. The former New York Yankees closer is considered by many to be the best relief pitcher of all time. During Tuesday night’s edition of “Inside the NBA,” Ernie Johnson explained how Shaq has no idea who Rivera is.
Back when Rivera blew out his knee shagging fly balls, the “Inside the NBA” crew sent him a get well letter. Shaq signed the letter, but he still barely recognized Rivera when he bumped into him in New York on Tuesday morning.
“So he bumps into Rivera in New York this morning and Rivera says, ‘Hey, say hi to the guys back in Atlanta,'” Johnson explained. “And Shaq (tells us), ‘I ran into that great closer, Rafael Nugero, today.'”
Shaq and the rest of the crew found this hilarious.
“I remembered the face I just couldn’t think of the name,” Shaq said. “Sorry.”
As LB mentioned before, Tuesday was an absolute banner day for the big fella. Shaq managed to hilariously confuse a pierogi for a kielbasa, stuff a sock in his shorts and rub it on Charles Barkley, and admit he doesn’t know who the greatest closer of all time is all in a single day. Nicely done.
