When Shaquille O’Neal called Stan Van Gundy a “master of panic” after flopping accusations: “I’ve been there before, I’ve played for him”
When Shaquille O’Neal called Stan Van Gundy a “master of panic” after flopping accusations: “I’ve been there before, I’ve played for him” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Shaquille O’Neal’s storied 19-year NBA journey saw him under the guidance of a mix of coaches — some legendary, others less so.
At the pinnacle stand two Hall of Famers: Phil Jackson and Pat Riley — true masters of basketball excellence who crafted the big man’s championship legacy.
Then there was one unmistakable outlier — Stan Van Gundy, or as O’Neal bluntly dubbed him, the “master of panic.”
Shaq faced a flopping accusation
O’Neal’s sharp description of Van Gundy came in March 2009 — and, as you probably guessed, it didn’t come out of nowhere.
Earlier that month, the former Miami Heat duo had met on the court, with the veteran center playing for the Phoenix Suns and the head coach leading the Orlando Magic.
In the third quarter, a pivotal moment unfolded between two future Hall of Fame big men.
Orlando’s Dwight Howard received the ball with his back to the opposing basket, closely guarded by Phoenix’s O’Neal.
Howard jabbed to create space, then spun sharply to face Diesel. He took a strong dribble, planted his feet, and executed a textbook post move straight from Hakeem Olajuwon’s playbook.
Shaq’s response? Instead of contesting, he simply fell to the floor — a move many saw as a clear flop. Among the critics was Van Gundy himself.
“I was shocked, seriously shocked and very disappointed because he knows what it’s like,” the California native later said, per ESPN. “Let’s stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight.”
Word battle
Dwight’s slick post move earned a clean bucket for the Magic, who cruised to a 111-99 victory. But after the game, Shaq seemed more fired up by Stan’s flopping accusations than the loss itself. True to his combative nature, the three-time Finals MVP didn’t hold back.
“I heard his comment. Flopping to me is doing it more than one time, and I realized when I tried to take the charge, as I went down, I realized that that play reminded me of his whole coaching career,” O’Neal said. “And one thing I really despise is a front-runner, so I know for a fact that he’s a master of panic, and when it gets time for his team to go in the postseason and do certain things, he will let them down because of his panic. I’ve been there before, I’ve played for him.”
In another comment, Shaq called SVG a “nobody.” But that wasn’t the end. After his media session, the Los Angeles Lakers legend even stopped an ESPN reporter to add one more jab, stating, “Now I see why everybody who plays for him doesn’t like him.”
Van Gundy, who coached O’Neal for 87 games in South Beach, gave a cool, measured reply.
“I’m not going to worry about it too much,” the now 65-year-old told the Sentinel. “Actually, that [Shaq’s criticism] puts me in good company, very good company. He’s taken shots at Phil Jackson and Pat Riley, so maybe I should consider it an honor.”
While Shaq has indeed targeted all three head coaches with criticism at various points, the key difference lies in their track records with the New Jersey native.
Under Jackson, O’Neal won three championships; with Riley, one. With Van Gundy? Zero.
