EDMONTON 鈥� Zach Hyman is extending the invitation.
If basketball legend Shaquille O鈥橬eal needs to learn how to skate 鈥� for real this time 鈥� Hyman will hit the ice with him.
鈥淚f Shaq wants lessons, no problem,鈥� the Edmonton Oilers forward said Wednesday. 鈥淔or free.鈥�
O鈥橬eal, a Basketball Hall of Famer and larger-than-life personality, has twice jumped onto the NHL on TNT broadcasts under the 鈥淪haq Hyman鈥� moniker during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The seven-foot-one, 325-pounder walked onto the set last Saturday holding a hockey stick before screening Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who said: 鈥淚 need a ladder.鈥�
And on Tuesday night, O'Neal 鈥渟kated鈥� into the studio with a hockey stick in his hands, a helmet on his head and two skateboards attached to his feet.
Hyman can hardly believe his eyes when he turns on the TV these days.
鈥淣ever thought in my life people would be calling him 'Shaq Hyman,'鈥� he said, laughing. 鈥淧retty cool to share that nickname with him.鈥�
Hyman earned the 鈥淪haq Hyman鈥� nickname for displaying his ability to score in the paint 鈥� the same area O鈥橬eal terrorized defenders for over a decade on an NBA court 鈥� when he was with the American Hockey League鈥檚 Toronto Marlies in 2015-16.
鈥淲hen I was with the Marlies we called him 鈥楽haq Hyman鈥� for a reason, because he got to the paint more and better than anybody,鈥� Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said in March.
The six-foot-one, 206-pound Hyman can only imagine the kind of problems Shaq could pose on NHL goalies, and is impressed by the progress the big man is making in such a short span.
鈥淗e鈥檚 great, he just keeps improving,鈥� Hyman said. 鈥淔irst he was in shoes then he was on skateboards, so next he鈥檒l be on real skates 鈥� and that鈥檚 a big man in front of the net.鈥�
O鈥橬eal made US$292 million during his 19-season career and acquired millions more in endorsements thanks to his comical persona.
Long retired, he puts his personality on display weekly alongside fellow Hall of Famer Charles Barkley on 鈥淚nside the NBA鈥� 鈥� TNT鈥檚 award-winning NBA studio show.
鈥淚鈥檓 a huge Shaq fan, obviously an incredible basketball player and incredible panellist on TNT,鈥� Hyman said. 鈥淪ometimes the basketball games are even more fun when he and Charles are going at it in the intermission, so he brings a whole other element to the NBA.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 cool to see him on the NHL set and pretending to be 鈥楽haq Hyman.鈥欌��
Hyman and the Oilers were leading the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 in their first-round series heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night. Hyman has lived up to his and O'Neal's shared nickname with six goals in his first four playoff games after scoring 54 in the regular season -- often from the blue paint.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2024.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
