By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally Tuesday June 2, 2015
680/The Fan afternoon host John Kincade has joined TNT analyst and NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal for a weekly podcast.
The first podcast was introduced Monday, dubbed "The BIG Podcast With Shaq."
Kincade, in an interview Monday, said Shaq needed someone to bounce off of. The basketball star didn't want to talk by himself.
He had heard about Kincade through the grapevine and knew about his CBS Sports work more than his Fan show. So they met to feel each other out.
Kincade didn't think anything would come of the pow-wow going in but they clicked. "It as an unlikely pairing," he said. And suddenly, Kincade was on board.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
On the first podcast, Shaq hyped Kincade, calling him "the Larry Bird of radio" multiple times.
"I'll be the slow-footed white point guard," Kincade cracked.
During the hour-long podcast, Shaq dismissed DeflateGate as much ado about not much, noting he would deflate basketballs regularly in the NBA. He also said he did say he wanted to kill Kobe Bryant at one point but not really. And they interviewed fellow former player Rick Fox. He also told a story about clashing with a school administrator via email.
Shaq also sang a snippet of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" to prove he knows "white boy" music. Kincade ended up picking the "Fresh Prince" and "Jeffersons" TV themes.
Kincade said the podcast format is a lot more free form than regular radio. "It's much less structured," he said. "If we want to go 17 minutes without a break, we can do that. It's more long-form listening."
He enjoyed the first podcast. "We're having a blast," he said.
"He wants this podcast to not just be about basketball," he added. "Shaq is a brand. He wants to talk about current events, pop culture and other sports. As is his nature, he wants to be able to clown around and have fun."
Kincade said Shaq has an A-list Rolodex and will generate plenty of big-name guests. "When Shaq calls, people listen," he said.
He also hopes he'll gain a little shine from Shaq's fame. While Kincade has 40,000 Twitter followers, Shaq has 9.9 million.
"I want power in the Twitterverse!" Kincade said on the podcast. Shaq promised to push Kincade's Twitter address so he can add 50,000 more followers by June 15.
Kincade has been with 680/The Fan (also on 93.7 on the FM dial) since 2000. His Fan show with Buck Belue airs from noon to 3 p.m. He also hosts a solo Sunday morning syndicated show on CBS Sports Radio.
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