For a moment during the Suns’ blowout home victory against the Kings on April 3, 2009, Shaquille O’Neal turned into player-coach.
O’Neal, in "The Big Cactus" iteration of his many colorful nicknames, summoned his rookies Goran Dragic and Robin Lopez during a timeout.
"He demanded that Goran run a pick-and-pop and I pull back for the 3-pointer," Lopez said.
The 7-footer’s eyes still light up at the memory of the first of his mere five career 3-point attempts.
"It was an air ball," Lopez said with comedic timing. "But it was online."
The rest of what O’Neal instructed and shared with Lopez proved more on target.
In fact, think about the basketball wisdom that Lopez had around him in Phoenix, where he spent his first four NBA seasons. Steve Kerr drafted Lopez 15th overall as the Suns general manager. O’Neal, Grant Hill and Steve Nash were Lopez’s veteran teammates. Bill Cartwright served as his big-man coach.
Lopez received a wonderful education at Stanford. He got his basketball Ph.D. in Phoenix, where the Bulls traveled late Thursday in advance of Friday’s game with the Suns.
"That was a fantastic experience, a wonderful situation for me," Lopez said. "I was able to soak up so much information and so many different aspects to the NBA game. I learned about pick-and-roll angles from Steve and Amare (Stoudemire). I learned big-man tricks from Bill and Shaq. And a lot of my current mentality got shaped by Steve Kerr. I’m really grateful for that."
Lopez shared special praise for the big men who influenced him.
"Shaq is pretty mischievous and playful," Lopez said. "But he was a great vet to me. He always talked about the big-man alliance and the basketball gods. If you’re good to those two things, he said you’ll be OK.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg on the loss to the Warriors
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg discusses the loss to Golden State. (K.C. Johnson/Chicago Tribune)
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg discusses the loss to Golden State. (K.C. Johnson/Chicago Tribune)
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"Bill was great about changing my mentality around the rim. He was the one who taught me that all a big man really needs is one go-to move and a counter. Obviously, there are deviances from that. But when you come with a mindset like that, it makes the game a lot easier. I love Bill."
The feeling is mutual. Lopez and Cartwright caught up when Cartwright visited Tuesday’s practice at the University of San Francisco, Cartwright’s alma mater and current employer in a non-athletic role.
"I really enjoyed Robin," said Cartwright, the former Bulls center and head coach. "He plays with his emotions. He is pure of heart. He’s going to give you his best effort every day. He’s going to come hard, try to do the right thing. That kind of kid I can work with."
Lopez is the only Bull not to miss a game this season. He’s averaging 9.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in a solid first season after being acquired in the Derrick Rose trade.
His frontcourt mate, Taj Gibson, has known Lopez and Lopez’s twin brother, Brook, since high school.
"He’s just one of those guys, he wants to win," Gibson said. "We understand in this league, you’re a big man you’re going to have to do the dirty work, whatever it takes to help your team win. We just work well and we’re real unselfish. We’re just there for our teammates."
Lopez always has been a team player. Just ask O’Neal.
"There was some rookie hazing," Lopez said. "One time, Goran and I had to do defensive slides in a restaurant."
The Big Cactus always got the last laugh.
kcjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcjhoop
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