Shaquille O’Neal played for different teams under various head coaches throughout his illustrious career. However, the coach who had one of the most significant impacts on his success was none other than the “Godfather of the NBA,” Pat Riley.

Shaquille O’Neal and JJ Redick (Images Credit: Getty Images)

During a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Shaq joined via video call. During the appearance, host Pat McAfee attempted to draw a comparison between Riley and newly hired Lakers coach JJ Redick.

Despite Redick’s lack of coaching experience, the Lakers decided to replace Darvin Ham with him. However, the comparison did not entertain Shaq, and he quickly shut it down.

“No, stop it. Don’t even. No, stop it. First of all, J.J. is a nice guy. Pat Riley is the man. So, imagine you come in and J.J. Redick starts yelling at you. It’s going to be a fight in there,” Shaq said.

“Players ain’t going for all that yelling and all that screaming and all that extra running. Next Pat Riley, my ass,” the former Lakers star added.

Shaquille O’Neal Predicts Rough Start for Lakers Under New Coach JJ Redick

The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up their last season with 47 wins under the guidance of head coach Darvin Ham. However, a disappointing finish in the playoffs led the Lakers to sign JJ Redick to a four-year contract in hopes of bringing a fresh approach to the team.

However, during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Shaquille O’Neal expressed concerns about the challenges Redick might face as a rookie coach.

“I think personally, they’re gonna have a rough start. And what I mean by that, you know, as a coach, it’s all about respect, and if I’m a guy that’s played seven, eight years and I’m getting a young coach who I think I was a better player than, there’s gonna be a level of no disrespect there,” Shaq said.

The Lakers are banking on Redick to instill a new culture and reignite their winning streak. It’ll remain to be seen if Redick can turn the wheel of the Lakers to bring their championship caliber.