Shaquille O’Neal gives Clippers’ Blake Griffin the ultimate compliment

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When Shaquille O’Neal gives you props, you know you’re good, because the big man doesn’t mince words or throw aimless praise at just anyone.

(And when he disses you, like saying he’s not interested in being traded to your team, for instance, don’t take it personally.)

But when Shaq says he uses your game film to tutor his son on how to play basketball, then it’s time to call home and text-message all your friends.

This means you, Blake Griffin.

SI.com reported today that Tweetmaster Shaq not only considers Griffin to be among a “special case” of players that includes LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, but that the Big Diesel shows his son game film of Griffin.

‘My [10-year-old] son is starting to play now, and I don’t like to let him watch players that are really, really fancy,” O’Neal told SI. “Of course, I’ll let him watch Kobe, LeBron, T-Mac [Tracy McGrady]. But I show him Blake Griffin and I say, ‘Shareef, this is the dude you should watch and pattern your game after.’ Because my son, when he’s older, I think he’s going to have the same body type -- 6-10, muscular, freakish athletically.’

Said O’Neal: “[Griffin] plays the game like a big man should play -- hard-nosed, tough. I really like his game.”

-- Baxter Holmes