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re: Who is the nicest pro athlete you've ever met
Posted on 12/16/25 at 1:48 pm to Jack Ruby
Posted on 12/16/25 at 1:48 pm to Jack Ruby
Seriously.. Shaq. And this was the summer before his last year. He had that silly fun personality you see on TV and he went out of his way to interact with kids. He took his shoes off and let the kids put them on their feet.
It was in a private setting and I watched up close how younger kids was just drawn to him. You would think he would be intimidating to kids who are.. 4, 5.. 6 or 7 years old, but he came into the room and interacted with the kids right away and it was 4 or 5 kids just around him and he played with them until someone told the kids it was enough for the moment. They kids were taken out of the room and the door out of the room was.. If I remember correctly, I guess double paneled and one of the younger kids would run up to the door and Shaq would wave to him and then the kid would run off and come back laughing until someone made the kid stop, but he didn't seem one bit annoyed with these kids all around him.
It was in a private setting and I watched up close how younger kids was just drawn to him. You would think he would be intimidating to kids who are.. 4, 5.. 6 or 7 years old, but he came into the room and interacted with the kids right away and it was 4 or 5 kids just around him and he played with them until someone told the kids it was enough for the moment. They kids were taken out of the room and the door out of the room was.. If I remember correctly, I guess double paneled and one of the younger kids would run up to the door and Shaq would wave to him and then the kid would run off and come back laughing until someone made the kid stop, but he didn't seem one bit annoyed with these kids all around him.
1
Posted on 12/16/25 at 1:59 pm to Jack Ruby
Debo Jones. Went to high school with him. Good dude.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 1:59 pm to Jack Ruby
I met Shaq at the end of his Orlando days and he was so fing nice to everyone. He was signing autographs for 2 hours straight without complaint and hanging out. Andre Johnson was very low key; he didn't want anyone to know who he was when he was in airports
Worst - Irving is kind of a POS in Dallas at times. He walks around with his Super Bowl rings to show off to women and will literally try and steal them from the table you are sitting at with them for dinner. Saw him at Nick & Sams a few times and my friends took photos with him once (women not men). I don't know if he always is but my interaction wasn't great with him
Worst - Irving is kind of a POS in Dallas at times. He walks around with his Super Bowl rings to show off to women and will literally try and steal them from the table you are sitting at with them for dinner. Saw him at Nick & Sams a few times and my friends took photos with him once (women not men). I don't know if he always is but my interaction wasn't great with him
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:00 pm to Jack Ruby
Nicest: Joe Burrow
Worst: Josh Allen
Worst: Josh Allen
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:02 pm to OweO
Most saints and pelicans. players I’ve ever met were nice. The only one who wasn’t that I encountered was Terrance Jones. An immature punk.
JJ Redick is so nice to the point of being awkward.
Hardly a household name, but former NBA player Jeff Foster is cool as hell.
JJ Redick is so nice to the point of being awkward.
Hardly a household name, but former NBA player Jeff Foster is cool as hell.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 2:05 pm
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:04 pm to REG861
Shaq was on campus for something one summer and I worked on campus. Met him near the pmac by myself. I stared at him and he caught me and walked over. Talked for a couple minutes, super nice. Shook my hand and said "nobody's gonna believe you met me" and smiled when he walked away. 
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:08 pm to Jack Ruby
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:08 pm to Hooligan33
Met Dominique once, and agreed, he was very pleasant. Couldn't blend in to save his life, though.
Met Scott Mellanby once (former Captain of the Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers). Beyond humble and easy to be around. Also looked like he was strong as a mule, and not the kind of guy you'd ever want on your bad side.
Also met Verne Lundquist in a press box one time. He's short on TV, but he's almost unnervingly small in real life. Legit built like Gimli.
Met Scott Mellanby once (former Captain of the Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers). Beyond humble and easy to be around. Also looked like he was strong as a mule, and not the kind of guy you'd ever want on your bad side.
Also met Verne Lundquist in a press box one time. He's short on TV, but he's almost unnervingly small in real life. Legit built like Gimli.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 2:17 pm
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:09 pm to Jack Ruby
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:11 pm to Jack Ruby
Jaromir Jagr
Was at a bar in Pittsburgh in the mid-90’s went to bathroom went to open the door and as I reached it opened up and out walked Jagr. The door almost hit me he stopped and said “sorry for the door, hi I’m Jaromir” and shook my hand and I told him my name. He asked if I was there with friends I said I was. About 20 minutes later he comes by the table introduces himself and the friend with him to the my group and proceeds to buy us rounds and hang out for about 45 minutes.
After he left, my friends were confused and asked how I knew him. Was strange to say, “guys I met him outside the bathroom just a few minutes ago”.
My experience was pretty consistent with other folks that ran into him in town. He’d just say hi, come hang out for a bit, buy rounds of drinks and move along.
Worst was Barry Bonds. I was 12 and he was an absolute dick to me at a meet the Pirates event. So much so that Bobby Bonilla and John Smiley came over to get him away from me and the other kids. I legitimately think he was drunk. Kids had baseball cards that they were trying to get signed, he was grabbing them and throwing them and tearing them in half. Told some kids to frick off; literally. They were around 8 years old. Bonilla came running over and grabbed him with Smiley and dragged him off.
Was at a bar in Pittsburgh in the mid-90’s went to bathroom went to open the door and as I reached it opened up and out walked Jagr. The door almost hit me he stopped and said “sorry for the door, hi I’m Jaromir” and shook my hand and I told him my name. He asked if I was there with friends I said I was. About 20 minutes later he comes by the table introduces himself and the friend with him to the my group and proceeds to buy us rounds and hang out for about 45 minutes.
After he left, my friends were confused and asked how I knew him. Was strange to say, “guys I met him outside the bathroom just a few minutes ago”.
My experience was pretty consistent with other folks that ran into him in town. He’d just say hi, come hang out for a bit, buy rounds of drinks and move along.
Worst was Barry Bonds. I was 12 and he was an absolute dick to me at a meet the Pirates event. So much so that Bobby Bonilla and John Smiley came over to get him away from me and the other kids. I legitimately think he was drunk. Kids had baseball cards that they were trying to get signed, he was grabbing them and throwing them and tearing them in half. Told some kids to frick off; literally. They were around 8 years old. Bonilla came running over and grabbed him with Smiley and dragged him off.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:19 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
Jaromir Jagr
I met him once, as well, back in '99 when he was known as the best player in the world. As you described. Genuinely likeable guy, super humble, and fricking huge. He's a massive human being, just in terms of sheer natural strength.
Had a friend who was neighbors with Dominik Hasek, and she said he was very nice, albeit a little aloof. But hey, goalies, man.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:20 pm to Jack Ruby
The entire 2011 Dallas Mavericks - my first job out of college was with ESPN Radio in Dallas and I got to go into the locker room before and after games as well as practices, they were all good guys
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:21 pm to Jack Ruby
Dale Murphy
Edit: Dale Murphy gets a dv because he’s a great guy? Weird
Edit: Dale Murphy gets a dv because he’s a great guy? Weird
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 7:21 pm
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:29 pm to chinese58
quote:
Dirk
Did his reputation get better?? Used to only hear horror stories about him.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:29 pm to Jack Ruby
Sam Mills. His son and I were teammates for playground football.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 2:32 pm
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:31 pm to Cosmo
quote:
Biggio
Had a totally different experience, he was just flat out rude.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:33 pm to Jack Ruby
David Toms
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:34 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
Worst was Barry Bonds.
This is the least surprising thing here, there was/is something wrong with him.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:35 pm to Jack Ruby
Nicest: Chucky Brown
Worst: Dikembe Mutombo
Worst: Dikembe Mutombo
Posted on 12/16/25 at 2:38 pm to Cosmo
Nicest: Shane Battier
Rudest: Vinny Testaverde
Rudest: Vinny Testaverde
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