Rookie Center Queen Chooses Shaquille O'Neal as One-on-One Opponent, Prompting McGrady to Ask Three Times: "Do You Want to Get Dunked On?"

21-year-old New Orleans Pelicans center Queen revealed on a podcast that the opponent he most wants to face one-on-one is Shaquille O'Neal. The answer left two NBA legends present at the show — Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady — stunned, with McGrady immediately asking: "Do you want to get dunked on?"

As a rookie center this season, Queen is averaging 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and he also became the first center in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double. When asked on the podcast hosted by Carter and McGrady who he would most like to face in a one-on-one matchup, Queen named O'Neal without hesitation.

McGrady had a strong reaction: "Brother, hold on. You can say anyone, but you can't pick him. Do you want to get dunked on? It's fine, he wants to get dunked on. So that's your dream? Getting dunked on is your dream?" McGrady's disbelief was understandable — during his prime, O'Neal played for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, stood 7-foot-1 and weighed more than 325 pounds, and was nearly impossible to stop around the basket throughout his career.

Queen's explanation: Not the Lakers version of O'Neal

Queen later explained that he was not referring to the prime Lakers-era O'Neal, but rather the O'Neal who played for the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics. Even with that clarification, Carter was not completely reassured. Carter said on the show: "Hey, but he could still play at that point. That's when he wanted to hurt opponents, because he had lost his jumping ability, but he could still dunk. Brother, I don't think you would want to face that version of him either."

O'Neal's numbers during his time with the Suns were still impressive: he averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over 103 appearances, and once scored 45 points against the Toronto Raptors, although Phoenix's fast-paced style was not an ideal fit for him. During the 2010-11 season with the Celtics, O'Neal played only 37 games due to injuries, but Boston won 28 of those games when he was on the court, and his shooting percentage reached a career-high 66.7%.

McGrady's advice: Keep learning from veterans

The conversation then turned to Queen's interactions with veteran players around the league. He met O'Neal during Finals coverage, but the interaction was very brief. McGrady used the opportunity to tell Queen to continue building those connections: "Do me a favor, keep reaching out to them, because Shaquille has a lot of things he can teach you. Absorb like a sponge, learn from people. Listen to their stories and use them to help shape your game."

Queen's rookie season has provided plenty of material for these conversations. In addition to his memorable triple-double performance against the San Antonio Spurs, he also recorded 30 points and 22 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves, showing physical qualities reminiscent of O'Neal. As the Pelicans enter their 25th season as a franchise, Queen's development under new head coach Jamahl Mosley will be worth following.