NBA

Shaq Explains Social Media Dominance, Possibly Joins Celtics

Shaq (now a Celtic?) might not have everyone believing he’s the most dominant player in NBA history, but few would argue he’s the best tweeter the league ever produced. With over 3 million followers, he’s leveraged the platform (and really, all of the internet) as well as anyone, and he recently conducted an interview explaining what makes THE_REAL_SHAQ tick.

What struck us as the key line is something everyone using social media could probably stand to keep in mind (and similar to a point Will Leitch also made recently):

The point of it all is to not take any of it too seriously. Have fun with it.

And so he does. He mentioned that time he lip-synced Jessie’s Girl with creepy Shaq backing puppets, and the interviewer asks him about things like creative Twitter ticket giveaways. Shaq said none of it’s premeditated (“I never plan it. It just comes to me”), and he’s a rare case on that when he says this…we believe him. He actually seems like, as he says, “a big kid.”

Oh, and also, there are Shaq-related puns.

Q: Twitter Tombstone: In 140 characters or less, how would you like to be remembered?

A: SHAQROSANCT

Indeed. And as for the Celtics thing, A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet said it’s close to happening, but not a done deal. Certainly wouldn’t help the Celtics get any younger, but with their core they’re not playing for the long term anyway. But one thing’s for sure: with Shaq and Paul Pierce combined, no team in the NBA would have the online reach of the Celtics.