GLENDALE, Ariz. — Purdue’s 7-foot-4 big man goes by many names: Zach Edey, ‘Big Maple’ and… now ‘Zachille O’Neal?’
That’s the nickname Shaquille O’Neal bestowed on Edey in March after he became the first player to have at least 20 points and three blocks in three straight men’s NCAA Tournament games since O’Neal did so in 1991 and 1992 at LSU. ‘@zach_edey way to dominate im changing your name to Zachille O’neal,’ O’Neal wrote.
The nickname is fine by Edey.
‘If Shaq wants to call me Zachille, I’ll take it. I’m Zachille. No argument here,’ Edey said on Friday. ‘All respect to him. He’s an all-time great player and he accomplished basically everything I want to accomplish in the NBA. You always got to pay your respect to the people before you.
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Edey got the opportunity to meet O’Neal following Purdue’s win over NC State in the Final Four on Saturday.
‘Great to finally meet you, man. It’s an honor,’ Edey told O’Neal as he shook his hand and greeted him.
‘It’s real cool,’ Edey said of the interaction on Sunday. ‘Before I played basketball my mom and dad would watch him and (Charles Barkley) do their segments and they’d be laughing all the time. So to have a relationship with them and talk to them on the side and message them, it’s cool.”
Edey described the advice O’Neal shared with him as ‘invaluable.’
‘He’s been through it all and had a whole career,’ Edey said. ‘Just kind of being able to pick his brain and understand how he went through some things and dealt with some things is invaluable.’
Edey has recorded Shaq-like numbers throughout the NCAA Tournament. He’s averaging 28 points and 15.4 rebounds through five tournament games. Purdue squares off against UConn for the national championship on Monday.
