Gary Payton Reveals The Revolting ‘Prank’ Shaq Allegedly Used To Haze Rookies

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• Gary Payton claims Shaquille O’Neal subjected rookie teammates to a disgusting hazing ritual
• The alleged “prank” involved Shaq going to the bathroom in a bucket for up to a week
• Read more NBA news here

Over the past couple of decades, there’s been a fairly concerted effort to eliminate many of the various hazing rituals that were long viewed as a more-than-acceptable way to “welcome” young members of a sports team to their new squad.

The crackdown has primarily centered around the many high school and college programs that have instituted a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to antics targeting freshmen. Pros do get a bit more leeway when it comes to hazing, but most players resort to fairly harmless shenanigans that are cheeky and fun as opposed to cruel and tragic.

There are still plenty of rookies out there who are tasked with carrying equipment or picking up the bill at dinner, and while you can debate the merits of those traditions, it’s safe to say they’re very innocent compared to one thing Shaquille O’Neal allegedly subjected first-year players to during his storied NBA career.

Gary Payton recently sat down with VladTV to discuss his time playing alongside Shaq, and during the interview, he shared one particular anecdote about a “prank” he says the big man played on rookies that doesn’t exactly paint him in the best light.

Here’s what he had to say via Complex:

“We used to always play jokes. Shaq is a jokester.

So if one of the rookies would be in the stall, he would take a bucket and use the bathroom in it for about a week. And then all of a sudden, he would pour it on them.”

I thought having to look at a picture of Shaq’s feet was the most gag-inducing thing he’d ever be responsible for, but I guess I’ve been proven very wrong.