Shaquille O’Neal Reveals Money Advice Lakers’ Magic Johnson Gave Him

Getty Shaquille O'Neal and Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka share a laugh during the Lakers' preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena on October 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal are on the list of the best to ever play in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.

Appearing on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Shaq told me the best piece of advice that Magic Johnson ever gave him

Check out our dialogue below:

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I spoke to Isaiah Thomas. And he thinks the world of you. He thinks the world of Jalen Rose. He’s like, quietly the ‘godfather’ of business in the NBA. I make this analogy often. Isaiah Thomas is to the NBA is what Cam’ron is to hip-hop. He’s always moving a product.

Shaquille O’Neal: Always. He’s the one who actually taught me the business. When I look at businessmen in the NBA, there’s only three: Isaiah Thomas, Dave Bing and Junior Bridgeman – and Magic Johnson…

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What’s the best piece of advice that Magic Johnson ever gave you?

Shaquille O’Neal: When I was 18 years old and I was playing at his Midnight Summer Madness when I was going crazy, he said to me, “Hey man it’s ok to be famous, but at some point you have to start owning things.” At 18-19 years old I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, but then I figured it out.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Wow. I’m curious to know what your thoughts of the first half of the NBA season or the abbreviated season you know the season has been postponed because of the coronavirus. What do you make of the overall play – who stands out to you, what player stands out to you?

Shaquille O’Neal: You know what’s crazy? I never pay attention to the first half. I always start to pay attention after the All-Star Break because every year you’re always going to have your favorite. Milwaukee was a favorite. The Lakers and the Clippers are your favorites…who else – that’s about it. Then you got your sleeper teams: Toronto, Philly, Boston if they get their act together, Houston if they get their act together so, it’ll be a lot of hoopla but it’s only eight teams that you always really will worry about. Out of the 27 teams I was only watching those eight teams. The other teams, I wasn’t really – like the #8 seeds; Denver and all them. They’re going to make the playoffs but they’re not going to win unless something miraculous happens. So you know, I don’t start paying attention until there’s ten to twenty games left. Then, we got the news next week. The new-news is is when you come back and you play your twenty games and start the playoffs. After the coronavirus we’re going to pick up where we left off and start the playoffs. It’s going to be very interesting.