​On Friday, Oct. 23, legendary former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown died at the age of 90, leaving a huge hole in the Tigers’ community.Brown coached the Tigers for 25 seasons and throughout the wins and two Final Four appearances, he coached some of the greatest players not only of that era but in college basketball history, including Shaquille O’ Neal. Before he was a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the most dominant big men in NBA history, O’Neal was recruited by Brown.O’Neal spoke at the celebration of life ceremony that was held on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. During his speech he shared the following message about a moment just before Brown’s death.”I did the John Wooden thing for him (Brown) and my agaent told me that night , he said ‘You should call Coach Brown’ and he just said I was the busiest man in the world. I was working and I was saying to myself I’m gonna call him the next day and he passed away. So before I leave, if you have a person that you have’t talked to, if you have a person you haven’t seen, make sure you reach out because for me this is the third time that this has happened to me.”My sister passed away and I forgot to tell her I love her. Kobe Bryant passed away, I forgot to tell him I love him and now my Daddy Dale is gone and I forgot to tell him I love him.”During his time as a Tiger, O’Neal was a two-time first-team All-American at LSU. Among his former players, O’Neal frequently used Brown’s nickname ‘Daddy Dale’, a name that was used to poke fun at the coach but was embraced by the Tigers as it fit his highly vocal, deeply protective, and fiercely compassionate coaching style.Just two days before Brown’s death, he was named the 2027 recipient of the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award with O’Neal announcing it in a video tribute.“He made me one of the best basketball players ever,” O’Neal said in the video. “Daddy Dale — we call you ‘Daddy’ for a reason. I love you and congratulations. I am so proud of you, Coach.”REQUIRED READING: Opelousas football outlast Cecilia in a Week 8 thriller between rivalsREQUIRED READING: LSU men’s basketball roster: What to know about who will play for TigersShannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: What Shaquille O’Neal said about LSU legend Dale Brown’s death