>>> THIS MORNING WE ARE CATCHING
UP WITH NBA LEGEND SHAQUILLE
O’NEAL, THE HALL-OF-FAMER PLAYED
20 SEASONS AND WON FOUR NBA
TITLES.
>> THE CURRENT NBA SEASON HAS
BEEN A WILD ONE.
SO A LOT OF QUESTIONS WE HAVE
FOR HIM THIS MORNING.
AND HE IS JOINING US FROM
ATLANTA.
GOOD MORNING, SHAQ.
HOW YOU DOING?
>> HELLO, SHEINELLE AND DYLAN
AND JONATHAN.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> THAT’S HOW WE’RE GOING TO
START?
WE’RE GOING TO START THERE.
>> WELL, I DON’T KNOW YOUR NAME,
SIR.
WHAT’S YOUR NAME?
>> CRAIG MELVIN.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, SHAQ.
>> ROBERT, HOW YOU DOING?
NICE TALKING TO YOU, SIR.
>> EVERY TIME HE COMES ON.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU STUCK
AROUND FOR IT?
>> I DON’T KNOW EITHER.
ABUSE.
>> ARE YOU STILL CELEBRATING THE
LAKER’S CHAMPIONSHIP?
A PARTY GOING ON?
>> YES AND NO.
I’M HAPPY FOR THE LAKERS.
I’M HAPPY FOR ANY TEAM THAT WINS
BUT I HAVE A GREAT LONG HISTORY
WITH THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS.
I WAS HAPPY FOR LeBRON AND AD.
HAPPY FOR ESPECIALLY ALL THE
THINGS THAT WENT ON LAST YEAR.
SO TO REALLY ANSWER YOUR
QUESTION, THE ANSWER IS YES.
>> LAST SEASON THE ABBREVIATED
SEASON WAS PLAYED IN A BUBBLE,
AND IT BECAME, SHAQ, AS YOU
KNOW, KIND OF A SHINING EXAMPLE
OF HOW TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL
SPORTS DURING A PANDEMIC.
THIS SEASON WE’RE ABOUT TO -- I
GUESS WE’RE ABOUT FOUR WEEKS IN
ALREADY.
SOME TEAMS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED.
16 GAMES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED
BECAUSE OF COVID-19.
WHAT DOES THE LEAGUE NEED TO DO
TO SUCCEED THIS SEASON IN YOUR
OPINION?
>> YOU KNOW, THEY’VE DONE A
GREAT JOB, ESPECIALLY WITH THE
BUBBLE.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE’RE KIND
OF PLAYING IN THE BLIND.
WE’RE JUST EXPERIMENTING WITH A
FEW THINGS, BUT, LOOK, I’M
CONFIDENT IN THE NBA.
I’M CONFIDENT IN THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS, ADAM SILVA IS GOING
TO DO A GREAT JOB.
I WISH THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT
CAN’T BE PREVENTED, BUT I THINK
IF THE GUYS FOLLOW THE RULES AND
REGULATIONS, THERE WILL BE
LESSER NUMBERS.
>> DO YOU THINK WE’LL GET TO SEE
SOME FANS IN THE STANDS THIS
SEASON?
DO YOU THINK THAT WILL COME BACK
A LITTLE BIT?
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FANS.
HOPEFULLY THIS THING WILL START
TO DISAPPEAR.
I DON’T REALLY KNOW.
BUT LIKE, FOR ME, I WOULD LOVE
TO JUST GO OUT AND SEE FANS AND
SEE THE PLAYERS WITH THE FANS
AND THE PEOPLE.
LIKE, I THINK THAT’S WHAT REALLY
MADE ME A GREAT PLAYER,
INTERACTING WITH CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES AND MOTHERS, FATHERS,
BUSINESS PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST BROUGHT OUT AN
EXTRA ADRENALINE BOOST THAT I
REALLY COULDN’T GET BY MYSELF.
>> SURE.
>> WITH ALL THAT’S HAPPENED OVER
THE PAST YEAR, IT REALLY IS HARD
TO BELIEVE THAT NEXT WEEK WILL
MARK THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
SINCE KOEB BRYANT WAS KILLED IN
THE HELICOPTER ACCIDENT ALONG
WITH HIS DAUGHTER AND SEVEN
OTHERS.
SHAQ, THE RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU
HAD WITH KOBE WAS ALMOST AS
LEGENDARY AS THE CAREER THAT YOU
HAD AS WELL.
THAT SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, SHAQ,
HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT
YOUR FRIEND?
AND WHAT’S THE LAST YEAR BEEN
LIKE WITH REGARD TO THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, WE HAD A VERY
ENIGMATIC RELATIONSHIP.
WE WERE THE MOST DOMINANT ONE,
TWO POINTS EVER CREATED.
ENIGMATIC, CONTROVERSIAL, HAVING
FUN, AND THERE NEVER WILL
ANOTHER LIKE US.
IT’S STILL KIND OF HARD.
REDID MY GYM.
HIS PICTURE IS ON THE WALL.
HE WAS ALREADY A LEGEND.
HE WAS ALREADY A GUY THAT WILL
NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, BUT HE WAS
DEFINITELY -- I DIDN’T REALIZE
IT HAVE A YEAR UNTIL YOU JUST
SAID SOMETHING.
>> HARD TO BELIEVE.
>> HOW IS HIS WIFE DOING, SHAQ?
>> I CHECK ON HER ON SOCIAL
MEDIA.
SHE SEEMS TO BE IN GREAT
SPIRITS.
HIS DAUGHTERS ARE GROWING UP AND
TURNING INTO GORGEOUS YOUNG
LADIES, AND I JUST WATCH THEM
FROM AFAR.
I VISITED WITH HIS PARENTS WHEN
I WAS IN VEGAS, AND THEY’RE
HANDLING IT VERY WELL.
THEY’RE TOUGH.
HIS MOM AND DAD ARE WONDERFUL,
PERFECT PEOPLE.
I’M GLAD I GOT TO SPEND TIME
WITH THEM IN LAS VEGAS.
>> YOU KNOW, JAMES HARDEN, IT’S
BEEN GOOD TO TALK TO YOU THIS
MORNING.
BEST OF LUCK IN BROOKLYN, AND WE
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU DO
GREAT THINGS, JAMES.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> HE STRAIGHT UP IGNORED YOU.