Shaq is a great basketball player, heck of a pitch man, and a funny guy. You can also add “self-aware” to the list of terms that could be used to describe him.
Shaq was talking on TNT Tuesday night after Steph Curry broke the NBA record for most career 3-pointers made. He recognized what a great moment it was to have Ray Allen and Reggie Miller (who are second and third on the list) there for the event. Not only were Allen and Miller there, but they also celebrated being surpassed by Curry.
Shaq appreciated that and noted how he wouldn’t be so gracious considering his petty nature.
“To see those guys celebrate with him is just an honor. To hear Reggie say so reluctantly, ‘Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all-time,’ I’m Petty White. I would have a problem saying someone else is a better big man. But kudos to Reggie and Ray,” Shaq said after the game.
That, of course, is a play on words and reference to actress Betty White, who is 99 years old.
Shaq is notoriously petty when it comes to fellow big men. He has had a long-running spat with Dwight Howard, whom he believed was challenging his spot for years. He also had issues with Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming.
But at least Shaq is owning it, and he owns it in a humorous way. Maybe “Petty White” is another one of his catchphrases, much like his other famous one.
Photo: May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Shaquille O’Neal prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
