Shaquille O’Neal says Deion Sanders reminds him of Phil Jackson
Deion Sanders has done great in his first three games at Colorado. The Hall-of-Famer has been the talk of the college football world and beyond. Another sports great recently bestowed an honor upon Prime by comparing him to an all-time coaching legend.
Shaquille O’Neal told TMZ that Sanders’ demeanor reminded him of someone he knows very well.
“When they were down 11, there was a camera panned to Deion’s face, and it reminded me of Phil Jackson,” O’Neal said. “And I’ve always said, ‘If the general doesn’t panic, the troops don’t panic.’ And I told my boys, ‘Watch this.’”
Sanders wasted no time trying to bring Colorado back into the national conversation. The 19th-ranked Buffaloes have gone from being one of the worst to being undefeated going into Pac-12 conference play. Prime's undeniable poise is the reason why CU has been such a success story.
“I know exactly what the [Colorado] kids are going through because when you are standing in front of someone that has an impressive resume, and you’re trying to get to the level he get to, everything you say is golden,” O’Neal told TMZ. “I felt that way when Phil Jackson first came to the Lakers. Before he got there, me and Kobe, we got swept all the time. But when he came there and stepped in the locker room and we saw he didn’t panic, it taught us not to panic.
“We know that this guy knows what he’s talking about. Everybody watched him win six rings in Chicago. He knows exactly what he’s talking about. So I know when the defense is listening to [Sanders], I know they’re locked in. I know when the offense is listening to him, they’re locked in.”
Sanders has changed the opinions of many naysayers. He now leads the Buffs into Eugene for a battle with 10th-ranked Oregon. Shaq believes he's the best in today's game with very little comparison.
“Deion right now is the best coach in college football,” O’Neal said. “You heard it here first.”
The Buffs and Ducks square off for a marquee matchup on Saturday. A 3:30 p.m. kickoff from Autzen Stadium on ABC.