The time Shaquille O'Neal choked out Gordan Giricek
Shaquille O'Neal
© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
During his short stint with the Phoenix Suns, Shaquille O'Neal played alongside Croatian guard Gordan Giricek, and in preparation for one particular game, Gordan was messing around with Shaq. Shaq asked him to cut it off, but the Croatian persisted. This led to a physical altercation in which Giricek got the short end of the stick.
Never mess with Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal is arguably the strongest player ever to play in the NBA. This naturally makes him the last guy you want to mess with, especially if the situation seems to be getting out of hand and leading to a physical conflict. There's little you can do to the 7-foot-1 Diesel.
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As retold by Suns legend Steve Nash, during Shaq's tenure in Arizona, they had a solid backup shooting guard in Gordan Giricek, and Giricek was neither shy nor scared of playing jokes around O'Neal.
Gordan Giricek went a step too far
According to Shaq, Giricek was messing around and wouldn't stop talking after being instructed several times to shut up. Therefore, Big Aristotle decided to put him out. The crazy thing about the incident was that the Suns were scheduled to play in 15 minutes. To add to the story, Steve Nash was upset with Shaq because the Canadian was in the bathroom as this entire situation transpired; once he returned to the locker room — Giricek was on the floor, in no position to play.
