Shaquille O’Neal had an absurd reason to not appear on Arsenio Hall’s show in 1992
As a 19-year-old just turned pro, Shaquille O’Neal was determined to make people “remember his name.
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When talking about the biggest big men in the game, Shaquille O’Neal is the only name mentioned in the same conversation as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Hakeem Olajuwon, among several others.
The former Lakers legend weighed in at 325 pounds, and Shaq would manage to dominate the paint using this gargantuan stature of his. By bullying grown men on a daily basis, O’Neal managed to amass quite an illustrious resume.
At the end of his nearly two-decade career, “The Big Aristotle” ended up as one of the most successful stars in the modern NBA. The Hall of Famer’s overly stacked trophy cabinet included 15 All-Star appearances, 14 All-NBA selections, 3 All-Defensive selections, 2 scoring titles, the 1993 ROY, the 2000 MVP, 4 NBA championships. the NBA and 3 MVP finals, among several other awards.
“In the end I have to make them remember my name”: Shaquille O’Neal
After years of dominance and finding success on the court, Shaq is one of the most famous personalities in the sports world. However, there was a point in his career when a younger O’Neal just wanted people to “remember his name.”
during a interview, the former Lakers legend spoke about his aspirations to be in movies when he was young. She further stated how Arsenio Hall would call him numerous times, after being recruited in 1992, to appear on the show.
O’Neal’s only concern at the time: letting people know who he was.
“I never wanted to make movies. I thought about it, I dreamed about it. So when I was recruited, Arsenio Hall kept calling me ‘hey, I want you to come on the show.’ But he always comes back to the story I told you before. My mother said ‘make them remember your name’. I don’t want to walk into your show, Arsenio, in a ,000 suit and tell you corny stories and make you laugh.
I’m going to do that because that’s the format. But in the end I have to make them remember my name.
”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPfaXjPjlx8
It’s pretty safe to say that the masses know who Shaquille O’Neal is.
