Audio Of Shaq's First Interview

Wednesday, May 20, 2009


It seems a bit weird to me that the NY Times got a hold of Shaq's school work, but I'm not argue. O'Neal talked with Stephen Curry, in a mock on-air interview, and here is the audio and some background on the course he's taking....

The 37-year-old O’Neal insists he will play four more N.B.A. seasons, but he plans on having his own radio and television shows after retirement. He envisions something similar to HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel.”

That was why he found himself in broadcast hot seats across the Syracuse campus this week in an intriguing role reversal — conducting interviews instead of giving them.

O’Neal’s three-day broadcast boot camp at Syracuse is a spinoff of the second-year program that the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications runs in concert with the N.B.A.’s players association for players interested in pursuing broadcasting after their careers. Players pay $5,200 for the program. But because O’Neal wanted his own private session, he had to fork over more than $15,000.

“You have to know what you’re doing,” O’Neal said of the basics of broadcasting. “There are a lot of guys who are great speakers, but it doesn’t come off that way unless you have all the other elements. I needed to learn the secrets.”


That was pretty darn good for a first try. Good questions, especially about Curry playing in a smaller conference, and no flubs. O'Neal just might have a future in Sports Media.

O'Neal Hopes To Be Next Big Thing In Broadcasting (NY Times)

Posted by Awful Announcing at 11:29 AM

3 Comments:

Shaq's articulation has markedly improved. I wasn't always a good broadcaster, but I worked at it and now my co-workers at Mid-Utah Radio are really impressed with my work. My advice to Shaq is to keep up the good work and because he is who he is, he'll be higher up than I ever will (as a broadcaster, anyway). As for that comment, he will actually be good on air, I do believe that and that will be cool because I believe Shaq really is a nice guy. His innocuous demeanor really can charm audiences.

Brad James said...
May 20, 2009, 1:19:00 PM  

Shaq dreams of working at Mid-Utah radio!!!

GMoney said...
May 20, 2009, 1:25:00 PM  

Didn't Shaq say last year he was going to retire after this upcoming year? Shaq won't have a problem finding a job, even if it is in Mid-Utah.

walnuts said...
May 20, 2009, 2:38:00 PM  

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