The NBA recently did a single-episode reboot of hit 90's show “NBA Inside Stuff,” which was hosted by none other than the show's original host, Ahmad Rashad. The reunion episode featured some of the biggest superstars of the 90's era in what was a very enjoyable evening of conversation. One of the highlights of the show was four-time NBA champ Shaquille O'Neal apologizing to San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson for a rumor that the former started.
Shaq admitted that he had invented the rumor to motivate himself, and he decided that now was the right moment to come clean.
"I had to make up a rumor to get mad." – Shaq@SHAQ apologizes to David Robinson (@DavidtheAdmiral) for making up a rumor about him not signing an autograph when he was younger that he used for motivation. pic.twitter.com/DOmqTmPcqG
— NBA (@NBA) May 18, 2020
That's too hilarious, and the fact that all the other legends were laughing at Shaquille O'Neal's anecdote is what makes this moment even greater. Robinson himself pretty much almost fell out of his chair laughing, and it is clear that there was no bad blood between them.
This was a young Shaq taking a page right out of Michael Jordan's playbook. In ESPN's recently-concluded “The Last Dance” docu-series, Jordan's tendency to make up sleights in order to motivate himself was featured. As it turns out, MJ was not the only one who invented things out of thin air just to give himself an extra push. O'Neal himself did just that, and to no less than one of the best big men in the league in David Robinson.
The lesson here is this: if you want to be great then it's not a bad idea to make up an imaginary sleight here and there, so long as it helps motivate yourself. After all, two of the greatest of all time have done the same in their respective careers.
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