During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal established himself as one of the most dominant forces in basketball, but his reputation off the court was built on something far less conventional.
Known for his playful and unpredictable personality, O’Neal was notorious for pranks that often left NBA teammates and staff stunned-and sometimes disgusted.
Recently, former Lakers forward Cedric Ceballos revisited his experiences as Shaq’s teammate on Byron Scott’s podcast, offering new insights into just how outrageous life around O’Neal could be.
Ceballos, who joined the Lakers for a season and a half alongside the towering center, recalled moments that straddled the line between comedy and sheer shock.
“Shaq is a freaking idiot, man. He is and he do stuff that’s so disgusting,” Ceballos said, barely able to contain his laughter as he reflected on some of O’Neal’s more notorious locker room exploits.
His stories made clear that for Shaq, the boundaries of humor were always flexible-sometimes uncomfortably so.
Ceballos explained how he ended up with a locker next to the team’s equipment area and found himself in prime position to witness Shaq‘s antics.
“First year with Shaq, I had the locker room next to Rudy’s equipment, the little itty bitty, right? And I have a view of the bathroom,” Ceballos said.
He then shared, “You guys know that other locker room that’s on the other side, nobody ever takes that. So, when I first got there, they were like, ‘Where do you want to sit?’
“I was like, ‘What’s what’s up with this one?’ The individual like, ‘Well, so I’m sitting there and Shaq is in there doing he can’t fit in the stall anyway, and everybody who walked by, he like he’s showing his sh*t’.”
According to Ceballos, O’Neal’s fascination with bizarre bathroom pranks was a regular source of bewilderment.
“He always would play with feces for some reason,” Ceballos added, shaking his head at the memory. Even years later, Ceballos seemed genuinely perplexed by Shaq’s penchant for such outrageous behavior.
Byron Scott recounts the infamous Chick Hearn incident
As the podcast conversation shifted, host Byron Scott brought up one of the most infamous stories involving O’Neal and legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn.
For years, rumors have circulated about a shocking incident on the team bus, and Scott wanted to get Ceballos’s perspective.
“So the story is true then? And you might have been there at the time. I wasn’t there, but they said that you know, god rest his soul, Chick Hearn had to use the bathroom on the bus and he was trying to run to get to the restroom and Shaq put his feet out and tripped him,” Scott recalled.
What followed left even longtime NBA veterans shaking their heads: “…Chick ended up p*ssing on himself.
“And he went in the bathroom on the bus and took off his stuff, and Shaq went in to get his drawers with all the s- in them and put it in a plastic bag.”
Ceballos admitted the story had become part of Lakers lore but was unsure about every detail.
“I heard the same story. I don’t know… I don’t know if he went and got it, you know,” he said. “I was there when he did that, but I’m not sure if he actually got it.”
Over the years, O’Neal‘s legendary status in the league has only grown, and so have the wild tales from his playing days.
While not every story can be confirmed, there is no doubt that Shaq‘s time with the Lakers left a permanent impression-on the court, in the locker room, and in the memories of teammates who lived through the madness.
Even now, with O’Neal regularly sharing his side of the story on his own podcast, the truth behind these infamous pranks is still up for debate. But if one thing is certain, it is that Shaq‘s legacy extends far beyond his statistics.
The wild tales that follow him continue to be shared, leaving fans and former teammates equal parts amused and astounded.
Read the full article here
