Shaq didn't know that Damian Lillard was going to be involved in the remix of "Shaq & Kobe" by Rick Ross and Meek Mill. “Rick sent it to me first, so I didn’t even have his permission. So, I just looped it and I went in and I was like, ‘I hope you like it.’ And I sent it to him. He said, ‘Man, you did that fast.’ So, then he hit me back, ‘Can I use it?’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ And then he got really too professional on me — he started sending paperwork. I said, ‘Bro, you don’t need to. I don’t want no money.’ I’m like, ‘Rick, I don’t want nothing, bro.’ I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be on the song. And then when I heard Dame on it, I was like, ‘Mother effer, mother effer,'" Shaq told The Hollywood Reporter.
Shaq and Lillard have had a light-hearted beef for the last few years. They traded diss tracks in recent years as they compete for the title of "best rapper/athlete". “In the rap game, I take it personal when they say somebody else is better than me and [you know] the name I’m talking about. So listen, I love him, good friend of mine, but I have to make sure they say, ‘Shaq is the best rapper/athlete ever.’ Ain’t no ‘Shaq and…’ Look, it’s just all fun. I don’t want to be a rapper. I tried it and the money, it was cool, but I was making more money doing other things. It’s just to drop something, go viral, read the comments," the Hall of Famer continued in his interview with THR.
Magic Announce Shaq Jersey Retirement
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic recently announced that Shaq's jersey will be the first to be retired by the team. "On behalf of the DeVos family and myself and all of us here at the Orlando Magic, we want to congratulate you as we make you the first jersey number retired in the history of the Orlando Magic. You had a great career here at the beginning of your career and we had some great times!" Magic CEO Alex Martins told Shaq on Inside the NBA. Furthermore, the jersey retirement is set for February 13.
Shaq was the Magic's first-overall pick in the 1992 Draft and helped turn the team into a serious contender in the mid-90s. Addtionally, that included a Finals run in 1995, Shaq's third season in the league. However, Shaq's time in Orlando would only last until 1996 when he joined the Lakers in free agency. Shaq would later say that he felt like a "big fish in a dried-up pond" in Orlando. After leaving the Magic, Shaq would go on to win four NBA titles - three with the Lakers and one with the Heat.
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