DALLAS — Watching Shaquille O'Neal navigate among the little people, which is basically the world, it must have been similar to when Elvis Presley was alive, if the King was 7-foot-2, 350 pounds.
When Shaq does anything, crowds swarm like bees, and it's impossible not to stare.
The irony is when Shaq says anything, it's impossible to hear.
Shaq's voice is so low he can be nearly inaudible.
Anytime he says anything, people crane their necks, and turn their heads towards the sounds because there's a good chance it's going to be funny, insightful, inspirational, critical, or all of the above.
On Wednesday morning at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas, the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer and now 24/7 pitchman for everything, was on hand with former Dallas Mavs coach Avery Johnson for the St. Philip's School Destiny Award luncheon.
Shaq has previously stated his admiration for Mavs guard Luka Doncic, and during the All-Star festivities over the weekend in Cleveland the two finally met.
"He's a nice looking guy," Shaq told a group of us media folks on Wednesday. "Very nice. I wish him well."
This encounter was the biggest meeting for Luka during the weekend, but not the most significant.
Meeting Shaq was a distant second to the bear hug Luka received on the court from Michael Jordan.
Shaq isn't one to dodge a subject, mostly because at his size who is going to challenge him on anything?
Luka is now in the same spot that Shaq was when he was with the Orlando Magic, and the L.A. Lakers. And it's the same spot Jordan was once in with the Chicago Bulls.
"When you play for an organization that's done a lot, you know Dirk [Nowitzki] has done a lot for Dallas," Shaq said, "there's only one thing left to do is win. He's going to get great honors, great accolades, but at some point, Dallas, Texas, is going to expect him to win."
Who is going to argue this point?
If you want to, go ahead.
He's Shaq. Good luck.
Shaq didn't make the playoffs as a rookie, and lost his first-round series in his second season before reaching, and losing, the NBA Finals in his third year.
He was actually with the L.A. Lakers for three seasons before they reached, and won, the first of three straight NBA titles in 2000.
Hard to imagine now, but Jordan was 0-3 in his first three playoff series.
The NBA's All-Star break is over. The Dallas Mavericks have 23 games remaining in the regular season.
Now that "Fat Luka" is no more, he is playing as well as he ever has since coming to the Mavericks in 2018.
He's not quite in the MVP chatter yet, but if the final 23 games go well and the Mavs move up in the standings he has an outside chance.
He has reached the same point guys like Shaq, MJ, Dirk and so many others navigated before him. We all know Luka is one of the greatest players of this era, and there isn't much else he needs to do to prove it.
Shaq is right, it's just time for Luka to win in the playoffs.
But the problem remains the problem, which is whether his supporting cast is good enough to get this team out of the first round of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2011.
The Mavs are 0-2 in playoff series with Doncic, both coming against the L.A. Clippers.
The Mavs dealing Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards narrowly before the NBA's trade deadline expired didn't do much to make the roster considerably better.
They dumped a contract, and quit fooling themselves that KP could stay healthy long enough for a prolonged postseason run. He can't.
The Mavs would be well suited to find an interior player, but the earliest that's happening is this summer.
The Mavs are a good, not great, team.
Luka is a great player and Shaq knows the routine because he lived it. It's just time for Luka to win.
(At least that's what it sounded like Shaq said.)
