Shaquille O’Neal opens up on why he never thought of coaching the Lakers

Shaquille O’Neal has demonstrated his willingness to explore various endeavors beyond basketball. He has delved into business, acting, comedy, music and other pursuits, but he expressed hesitance to take on coaching responsibilities, particularly for the struggling LA Lakers.

Talking about the Lakers coaching gig on “The Big Podcast,” Shaquille O’Neal said he has no interest in coaching the team. Since winning the In-Season Tournament, the Lakers(19-20) have amassed a 5-11 record.

They sit 11th in the Western Conference, currently outside the play-in picture and behind the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz.

Shaq summarized his concern about coaching the Lakers with this response:

"'Cause I smack people.”

“If I tell you to do something and you don't do it, I'm just gonna smack you.”

His recent statement marked a shift in tone compared to his remarks last year when he indicated a willingness to coach the team if the price was right.

"If they offered me $25 million a year for four years, I would coach the Lakers," he said in April 2022.

In May 2023, in an interview with Chris Mannix, the legendary big man said his “old-school mentality” would make him unfit to coach.

“I probably wouldn’t be able to coach. I have an old-school mentality — Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, the great Gregg Popovich –type mentality,” he said. “I don’t think I would be able to relate to the new generation.”

During the same interview, Shaquille O’Neal disclosed that no NBA team had reached out to him to discuss a coaching position.

“No. Nobody has ever called me about coaching, but I’m still looking to be an owner, somehow,” O’Neal said.

Shaquille O’Neal throws shade on Lakers coach's ability to lead

According to Shaquille O’Neal, he believes that part of the Lakers' challenges stems from Darvin Ham's inability to effectively lead the team's locker room.

“What I know for a fact, in the locker room, resume is important,” he said. “You mean to tell me LeBron’s gonna listen to Darvin Ham in the thick of things? I know the answer to that, I’ll let you figure it out. You think AD is gonna listen to Darvin Ham? That’s no disrespect to Darvin Ham, but no championship experience, no playoff experience.”

Ham was a member of the 2004 NBA champions Detroit Pistons, who defeated Shaq and the Lakers in the finals. He was also part of the Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff in 2021 when they won their second title in franchise history.