LSU Basketball: Dale Brown dies at 90

Dale Brown, a longtime coach at Louisiana State University, died on Friday, Oct. 23, at age 90. He is best known for identifying the talent of Shaquille O'Neal when the future NBA star was a teenager in West Germany.

The two men first met in 1984 at a military base in Germany. O'Neal was 13 years old and already stood 6 feet, 9 inches tall. He approached Brown at a basketball clinic to ask for advice on improving his game. Brown initially mistook the teenager for an army soldier.

Brown began mailing O'Neal letters containing basketball exercises after that first meeting. They maintained this correspondence as O'Neal developed into a top high school prospect. Brown eventually recruited O'Neal to play for LSU from 1989 to 1992.

During his time in Baton Rouge, O'Neal earned two consensus All-American honors and two SEC Player of the Year awards. He was selected with the first pick in the 1992 NBA draft. O'Neal described Brown as a father figure and motivator off the court.

In a 1999 letter, O'Neal wrote that Brown was the only college coach he ever wanted. The coach remained a part of O'Neal's professional life, attending the 2000 Lakers championship celebration. O'Neal returned to LSU in 2000 to finish his degree, fulfilling a promise he had made to Brown.

A 2015 documentary titled "Shaq & Dale" detailed their relationship from Germany through O'Neal's NBA career. The film was directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw. According to LSU, the two kept in regular contact via letters and emails for decades.

On Oct. 21, two days before Brown's death, LSU announced he would receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in April 2027. O'Neal recorded a video message congratulating Brown on the selection.