Shaq on His Place in the GOAT Debate and His Mutual Respect With Kobe

The week on The Old Man and the Three we welcome the one and only Shaq. To start, JJ and Tommy preview the second round matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Then JJ and Shaq discuss so much, including why Shaq calls out current NBA players like Dwight Howard, and how players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain treated him similarly. He also explains his balance of playfulness and killer mentality as a player, when he understood that he needed to put on a show, his approach to the Finals, and how he looked for slights as motivation. Shaq also reflects about the end of his career when he realized he wasn’t the same type of dominant player, and the grieving process that came with that. He also explains why he doesn’t think he belongs in the GOAT conversation, the burden of free throws, the metal respect that him and Kobe Bryant had for each other on the Lakers, and what he took away from that relationship into playing with Dwyane Wade. Finally, he breaks down the games of his idols in the 90s and current NBA players he’d pick to play with. Then, Sue Bird joins JJ and Tommy for a draft of movie monologues. 0:00 Intro 2:33 Nuggets-Wolves preview 14:13 Shaq interview 1:15:30 Sue Bird draft Subscribe to The Old Man and The Three podcast w/ JJ Redick (ESPN / First Take) and Tommy Alter YouTube channel today for more NBA analysis, player interviews and highlights.