Shaquille O’Neal, known for his larger-than-life personality both on and off the court, is no stranger to headlines. The four-time NBA Champion, 15-time All-Star, and three-time Finals MVP has a legacy cemented in basketball history. He dominated the paint like no other and led the Lakers and Heat to NBA glory.
But now, the seven-footer is making waves for something far more controversial — a jaw-dropping claim about the NBA Draft Lottery that’s leaving fans questioning everything.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Revelation About His Draft Journey
In his latest appearance on Ashley Nevel’s podcast, O’Neal opened up about the moment he got drafted, and what he said is raising eyebrows.
“In 1992, the draft was in June or something. I meet Mr. Stern in March. He says to me, ‘Can’t wait for you to come to the NBA.’ Then he pulled me to the side, ‘You want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?’ He asked me that. And I was like, ‘Hot.’ And he smiled and I smiled and then a couple of days later they had the draft thing with the top three things and Minnesota was No. 3. And then Charlotte was No. 2 and Orlando was No. 1.
“I didn’t think anything about it, but you hear a lot of these conspiracy theories, and there’s a lot of situations that can make these things sound good and sound true. Like, ‘O.K., Dallas gets rid of one of the best players, but oh, we’re getting a new one. Ding, ding, ding,” said O’Neal during the podcast.
Shaq on what David Stern told him before the 1992 NBA Draft:
“‘You want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?’ I said hot… Orlando, Florida, number one [pick].”
(via @AshleyNevel, h/t @CourtsideBuzzX)pic.twitter.com/xKBuUxIS1z
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 19, 2025
Shaq’s revelation is coming at a time when the integrity of the draft lottery is once again being questioned. This year, the Dallas Mavericks shocked everyone by landing the No. 1 overall pick despite having just a 1.8% chance.
This came only months after the franchise controversially traded away their generational star Luka Dončić in February. Now with the top pick, Dallas is in a prime position to select another potential game-changer in Cooper Flagg — a move that could reshape their franchise for years to come.
Back in 1992, O’Neal was the consensus No. 1 pick after a dominant college career at LSU. When the Orlando Magic won the lottery, they wasted no time in drafting him. He immediately lived up to the hype, winning Rookie of the Year in 1993. Over his 19-year career, he went on to score 28,596 points, grab 13,099 rebounds, and block 2,732 shots.
If we see conspiracy theories about the NBA Draft Lottery are nothing new, like the infamous “frozen envelope” theory of 1985, it still circulates.
Now his first-hand account adds new fuel to the fire, and with the Mavericks now holding the top pick after parting ways with Dončić, fans and analysts alike are asking: Is the system truly fair, or is the NBA playing puppet master behind the curtain?
However, the draft conspiracy theory wasn’t the only interesting thing that the seven-footer said during the podcast.
O’Neal Praises an NBA Great in a Unique Way
O’Neal is famously known for his larger-than-life personality and his belief that he’s one of the greatest basketball players of all time. But while O’Neal never shies away from hyping up his own legacy, he has also shown time and again that he’s willing to give credit where it’s due.
During the same podcast with Nevel, the Hall of Famer praised none other than Michael Jordan. “Big Diesel” emphasized that Jordan deserves a certain level of respect that not many others command.
“First of all, if anybody says Michael Jordan is hating, you’re an idiot. This man is the only man on Earth with a G19 classification. Higher than the president of the United States … So if Jordan says, ‘I don’t think this guy is good’, you’re not that f*****g good,” said O’Neal.
This praise carries even more meaning when you consider their on-court history. Throughout Shaq’s career, he faced Jordan 21 times — 11 games in the regular season and 10 intense playoff matchups. The seven-footer came up short in 12 of those contests, a testament to the greatness he now openly acknowledges.