Here at the offices of the ShaqFu Radio Blog, we fondly remember Tyronn Lue as the former head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was the leader that got the LeBron-led Cavs to the NBA Championship for the 2015-16 season. As part of the campaign, he became the first coach in NBA history to win his first 10 postseason games, and then the Championship. Nice!
Now, when it comes to the Shaq-connection, we set the WayBack Machine for 1998, when Lue was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, where he joined teammate Shaq. Lue shared memories from his rookie days with the Lakers that perfectly captures the fun, generous side of the Big Diesel.
Meeting Shaq for the First Time
Back in 1998, Lue was just a 6-foot guard out of Nebraska trying to find his place in the NBA. Draft night had come and gone, and not long after, he got the chance to meet the man who would become his larger-than-life teammate. That meeting didn’t exactly start with fireworks.
“When I first met him, it was at the Century Club,” Lue recalled during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast. “At the time, he didn’t even know who I was. They had just drafted me, and he wasn’t really paying attention. Then Uncle Jerome said, ‘Man, that’s the guy we just drafted.’ Shaq was like, ‘Oh, okay. Whatever.’ Then he told me, ‘All right, just come to the house tomorrow. I’ll have my chef cook. Just come by.’”
An Unexpected Gift
The next day, Lue and some friends made their way to Shaq’s mansion. They enjoyed a big meal, hung out, and got to know each other. But just as Lue was about to leave, Shaq stopped him.
“Shaq said, ‘Hold up.’ He went to the back, came out with $10,000, and handed it to me,” Lue remembered. “He said, ‘Here, go shopping and get you something.’ I was like, ‘What? I can’t pay this back. It’s a lockout, I’m getting half my money.’ But he said, ‘No, no, no. Just keep it. Don’t worry about it.’”
That gesture stuck with Lue for more than two decades. It wasn’t just a one-time thing either — as he quickly learned, Shaq had a habit of helping people around him in big ways.
A Pattern of Kindness
Lue wasn’t the only one to benefit from Shaq’s generosity. Mark Madsen, another Lakers rookie a couple years later, also shared how Shaq stepped in when he noticed teammates struggling. Madsen was known for being low-key, showing up to games in khakis and driving an old family car. That didn’t sit right with O’Neal.
“I still wanted to make him cool, part of the guys,” Shaq explained. He helped Madsen get fitted for sharp suits and even covered the down payment on a new car. To Shaq, being a great teammate wasn’t just about setting screens and grabbing rebounds — it was about making sure everyone felt like they belonged.
Beyond the Stats
Shaq’s generosity adds another layer to his legendary career. On the court, he put up video game numbers: over 28,000 career points, more than 13,000 rebounds, 15 All-Star selections, and an MVP trophy in 2000. Off the court, stories like these remind fans that Shaq wasn’t just a dominant athlete, but also a giant-hearted teammate who went above and beyond to lift up the people around him.
For Tyronn Lue, that first impression wasn’t about Shaq’s power or size — it was about kindness. And it’s those memories, just as much as the championships and accolades, that keep the legend of Shaquille O’Neal alive.