UNT coach Jones: Shaq’s serious

ADLER · July 2, 2004

Jones: Shaq’s serious

UNT coach, former O’Neal assistant says center is really interested in Mavs

08:20 AM CDT on Thursday, July 1, 2004

By Brett Vito / Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer

North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones can relate to what Dallas Mavericks officials are going through this summer.

Jones spent the early part of his coaching career as an assistant at LSU and helped the Tigers win a recruiting battle for Shaquille O’Neal.

The Los Angeles Lakers center is once again in the process of deciding where he wants to play after telling the Lakers on June 18 that he wants to be traded. The Mavericks are considered to be one of the teams most likely to trade for the perennial NBA All-Star. Mavericks officials are now waiting to see if they will have a chance to land O’Neal, the same position Jones was in a few years ago during the height of the college basketball recruiting season.

"Shaquille has always been intrigued by the Mavericks and their organization," Jones said. "Two years ago I spent some time with him in Dallas when he was in town for a game. He didn’t play because he was hurt, but he worked out and lifted weights in the Mavericks facility while the team was practicing. He talked about how plush and nice their facilities are. He understands that the organization is first class and committed to their guys. He likes that."

Mavericks officials have been reserved when talking about their chances of trading for O’Neal.

"All of these pie-in-the-sky things are thrown out there, and that’s exactly what they are," Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations, told The Dallas Morning-News.

Jones played a key role in helping LSU achieve its dream scenario by recruiting O’Neal when he was a senior in high school. Jones played at LSU and joined the team as an assistant coach in 1984.

During his tenure with the Tigers, Jones helped recruit several of the team’s top players, including O’Neal and two-time All-American Chris Jackson, who later changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.

"I always give coach [head coach Dale] Brown credit for bringing Shaquille to LSU," Jones said. "They met when Shaquille was 12 or 13 while coach Brown was speaking to U.S. troops in Germany. Shaquille’s dad was stationed there. Coach Brown and Shaquille became pen pals."

O’Neal later moved to Texas and became one of the top college basketball recruits in the country. North Carolina and UCLA wanted to sign O’Neal, but lost out to LSU and Jones who quickly developed a friendship with O’Neal. The two have remained in touch throughout O’Neal’s NBA career.

"The great thing about Shaquille is that he is a competitor," Jones said. "He won the mile race in practice when he was a freshman. Whatever we were doing, whether it was a mile run or a 100-yard dash, he wanted to win. That is why he has been so successful."

Jones often tells stories of coaching O’Neal while hosting summer camps for young players.

"I tell kids all the time that Shaquille had the highest GPA on our team one year," Jones said. "He was very serious and sincere."

Jones believes O’Neal would bring that intensity and desire to the Mavericks and take them a step closer to winning an NBA title.

"Shaq would be a great fit for any team, but especially the Mavericks because of the supporting cast they could put around him," Jones said. "Since I have been watching the Mavericks, I always thought they were a good center away from winning a championship."

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According to Mean Green head basketball coach Johnny Jones, who coached Shaquille O’Neal (34) at LSU, says the center is legitimately interested in playing for the Mavericks.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.