American sports analyst and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal had high praise for Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. O’Neal compared Sanders to his former head coach Phil Jackson, whom he won three consecutive NBA Champions with from 1999-2002 after the Buffaloes win against Colorado State for his ability to remain calm and collected despite the game not being in their favor at times.
“When they were down 15, there was a camera that panned to Deion’s face, and it reminded me of Phil Jackson. And I’ve always said, if the general doesn’t panic, the troops don’t panic,” O’Neal said in an interview with TMZ Sports.
The Buffaloes overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime and complete the comeback against their in-state rivals with an impressive 43-38 victory.
Anytime you can be compared to the winningest coach in NBA history, you are in good company. Jackson won 11 NBA Championships in 20 seasons as a head coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Notably, he was the coach of two different three-peats: The Bulls won three consecutive titles from 1990-1993 under Jackson before he accomplished the same feat with O’Neal and the Lakers in 1999-2002.
Sanders and the Buffaloes have taken the world by storm in his first season as the team’s head coach. They have become one of the most popular teams in the country and are currently undefeated and ranked nineteenth in the AP Top 25 college football rankings.
The Buffaloes will have their biggest test yet this Saturday when they travel to Oregon to face the No. 10 ranked Ducks in what should be one of the most exciting games of the week.
