Shaquille O'Neal predicted Miami would upset the Celtics in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Wednesday. He doubled down at halftime, and Miami rewarded his faith with a shocking 111-101 win in Boston.
Just call him Shaqstradamus @SHAQ https://t.co/rmWqBudGP0 pic.twitter.com/zdauNd0c4n
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 25, 2024
Not only did Shaq pick the Heat to win by 10, he said he'd "double the bet, whatever it is," insisting that the Heat were "going to steal this game." He even accurately predicted Miami's three-point barrage, foretelling that Boston would "live by the three and die by the three."
Then, O'Neal pretended to make a phone call to Heat president Pat Riley, using a stack of fake bills as his receiver. You might recognize the "Shaq Bucks," which are fake hundreds featuring Shaq's face, from when O'Neal used them to pay off a supposed "$1 million bet" to Jamal Crawford.
It may have looked like homerism for O'Neal to pick the Heat, with whom he won a title in 2006. But it ended up being truly astute analysis, not necessarily something O'Neal is known for providing on TNT. Controversial theories about fuel efficiency? Yes. Wild estimates about the distance to the moon? Absolutely. Dead-on predictions about NBA scores, along with the scouting reasons? Not so much.
TNT added "Shaqstradamus" to the big man's illustrious list of nicknames, choosing that one over "The Big Oracle at Delphi," "Mr. Cleo" or "The Long Island Maximum."
O'Neal can take a victory lap after Wednesday's bold prediction. but he may choose to use his powers of clairvoyance for something even bigger: Predicting the next time Kenny Smith loses a race to the board.
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