Shaquille O’Neal has been a staple of TNT’s coverage of the NBA since his retirement in 2011, but there was another sports media giant attempting to get O’Neal to work for them.
Shaq went on the Marchand and Ourand podcast this week and was asked how he decided to join TNT following his playing career.
O’Neal said that he also had a major offer from ESPN to be a part of their NBA team. He met with David Levy, the former president of Turner Sports, and felt more comfortable with his pitch than ESPN’s after Levy said that he would not have to carry any show with TNT.
“Mr. Levy came to my house and he said, ‘We don’t need you, but we would like to have you,’” Shaq recalled. “ESPN was saying we need you. So, I was thinking if I have a bad day at Turner, I’m gonna be OK. But if I have a bad day at ESPN, it can only get worse.”
Shaq also said that the move made sense for him for two reasons. First, it would allow him to be closer to his family in Orlando, and second, he had a great respect for longtime TNT mainstay Ernie Johnson.
“Listen, I have a different type of love for Ernie Johnson,” Shaq said. “Ernie Johnson was a guy that I used to watch on TV. He actually came to my house when I was 17 years old to interview me. I love his voice. I love how he treats people.
“I’m not as good as Ernie. So, me being by myself, I’m gonna have to carry. I don’t think my ADHD would allow me to carry a show by myself. Being a teammate on a great team I think has done well for us. Just being one of the guys is something I enjoy, rather than trying to be the guy. I could never do what Ernie does.”