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[Saba Sports News] Shaquille O’Neal had his TNT co-panelists in stitches on Tuesday night when it became painfully clear that he had no idea who the head coach of the Detroit Pistons was.
While analyzing Detroit’s 123-103 blowout win over the Washington Wizards, Shaq praised Pistons star Cade Cunningham for his strong performance—27 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. However, while giving Cunningham his flowers, Shaq accidentally revealed a glaring gap in his knowledge.
“I like the way [Chauncey] is coaching,” Shaq said, referring to former Pistons star Chauncey Billups.
Candace Parker immediately called him out.
“I can’t let this go. Who’s doing it? You said Chauncey?” she asked, clearly amused.
“Chauncey’s the coach, right?” Shaq responded, doubling down.
Wrong. The actual head coach of the Pistons is JB Bickerstaff, who has turned Detroit into a legitimate playoff contender this season.
The Pistons’ latest win brought them to 37 victories, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference—an astonishing turnaround from last season’s 14-win disaster.
Shaq’s confusion is somewhat understandable—Billups is a head coach, but for the Portland Trail Blazers. Still, for an NBA analyst, not knowing the head coach of a team he’s supposed to be breaking down is a pretty major slip-up.
Given that Billups was a key part of the Pistons squad that beat Shaq’s Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals, it’s safe to say *The Diesel* still associates him with Detroit.
Regardless, his mix-up gave the panel and viewers a hilarious moment at his expense.