Shaquille O'Neal calls himself "Dark Nowitzki" as Lakers legend stuns in pickup basketball in Germany

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal gave himself a new nickname while playing pickup basketball in Germany. O'Neal called himself "Dark Nowitzki" as he showcased his vision and passing with a group of locals. The four-time NBA champion was in Germany as part of his gig as DJ Diesel.

In an Instagram post, O'Neal shared a reel of him playing five-on-five basketball with some guys in Germany. He called himself "Dark Nowitzki," an ode to the country's greatest player ever, Dirk Nowitzki. The big fella was with content creator Marcus Crawford for the trip.

"Dark Nowitzki is taking over Germany pay me what I’m worth lol @bawsemanmc out there lookin like Kyrie," Shaq wrote.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

Shaquille O'Neal and Dirk Nowitzki had a few battles during their NBA careers, mainly at the 2006 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. Shaq and the Heat came back from being down 0-2, winning four straight to win Miami's first-ever title.

Nowitzki would later get his revenge on the Heat minus O'Neal in 2011, beating the LeBron James-led Miami team to win his only NBA championship. The two legends would later appear in Shaq's podcast to discuss their careers and personal lives.

As for those wondering why the LA Lakers icon was in Germany, he was scheduled to perform at the Bootshaus in Cologne as part of Shaq's Bass All-Stars tour on Saturday. One of his side gigs during the NBA offseason is being DJ Diesel and rocking the party floor.

After Germany, DJ Diesel is set to play in Spain and Turkey before returning to the United States for nine more dates from Aug. 8 to Oct. 3. Shaq and the "Inside the NBA" crew are set to come back for another season, but this time they will be on ESPN, not on TNT.

---

Shaquille O'Neal wanted to play with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas

Shaquille O'Neal wanted to play with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. (Photo: IMAGN)

During Dirk Nowitzki's appearance on "The Big Podcast with Shaq," Shaquille O'Neal revealed that he wanted to play with the German star during his career. O'Neal explained that he called Mark Cuban to make it happen when he requested a trade in 2004.

"I called Mark, and I said, 'Mark, whatever you got to do to get me there,'" O'Neal said, according to Sports Illustrated. "And he's like, 'The Lakers won't do it,' and I was like, 'Make 'em do it, Mark.' They wouldn't do it, but that would've been nice because I love Dallas. As you know, I have two houses here."

The Lakers traded Shaq to Miami, helping the Heat win a title against Nowitzki's Mavericks in 2006.

Edited by Juan Paolo David