Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal has an amazing personality. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith loves to talk. Add those two together and you have pure radio gold.
That's what happened on a Monday morning in January 2019 — the first weekday after the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round — on the Stephen A. Smith Show as Shaq attempted to prank call the famous radio host.
Disguised as Tex Johnson, the caller makes fun of Stephen A. Smith's cowboy hat and defends Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett after the team lost 30-22 at the Los Angeles Coliseum that Saturday night.
Shaq Prank Calls Stephen A. Smith
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Shaq, who now works for Turner as a basketball analyst on Inside the NBA, has one of the most recognizable and deep voices in the country, so obviously it didn't take long for Smith to figure it out.
However, the first few seconds were simply amazing.
"First of all, you got to take that damn cowboy hat off and stop talking about the damn Cowboys, you understand me, son? Jerry Jones don't need to do nothing and coach [Jason Garrett] will not be fired. Cowboys Nation, forever! Now you went on your little laughing rant last night, laughing at the Cowboys. You better stop, son. I'm telling you right now."
— Shaquille O'Neal
It's always entertaining to listen to someone put the outspoken Stephen A. Smith in check, and Shaq definitely accomplished that. Getting personal and talking about Smith's fancy house near New York and New Jersey was nothing short of perfect.
"You actually tried that with me!" Smith said. "Oh, you think I wouldn't recognize your voice? That's pathetic. Who put you up to this? Who put you up to this, Shaq?"
In hilarious fashion, Shaq had already hung up the phone.
So while Stephen A. Smith can enjoy poking fun at the Cowboys for losing in NFL playoffs once again, there's no doubt Shaq got the last laugh with one of the best prank calls of the entire season.
This post was originally published on January 14, 2019.
