Shaquille O’Neal participated in a free throw shooting contest with two-year old Titus on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last night, according to the Daily Mail. Shaq lost.
Now, were things made easier for the baby? Yes and no.
No, because the competition wasn’t rigged by moving the basket next to the toddler or giving the toddler credit for a make if he at least hit the rim. Although the basketball hoop was the same height as Titus, he still had to stand six feet away from the basket. This helped make things a little more even.
Yes, because he was going up against Shaquille O’Neal. While the future Hall-of-Famer was known for being a monster in the paint and coming up big in the NBA Finals, he is also known as one of the worst free-throw shooters in NBA history. He has a career percentage of 52.7, according to ESPN.com.
As little Titus began his show, the audience cheered. They got even louder every time he made a basket. His father Joseph Ashby was by his side handing him a ball from the rack after each shot. Titus finished with eight makes in 30 seconds and then climbed into his dads arms to watch his challenger.
Shaq was not as impressive. After thirty seconds he made zero baskets. As Kimmel passed him the ball Shaq did not get the loving support Titus got from his passer.
At one point Kimmel even joked, “Just like the old days right?” The audience burst into laughter.
At the end of the competition Shaq was a good sport and gave Titus a high five.
Titus, better known as “Trick Shot Titus,” is a sensation on YouTube. The video below has over 11 million views,
He had been on Kimmel’s show before to compete with the host in a similar type of competition.
