As an esteemed sax player Marcus Monteiro receives compliments on a regular basis. But there’s one moment of praise that stands out from all of them – the admiration of NBA mega-star Shaquille O’Neal.
As the calendar turned from 2010 to 2011, Monteiro was playing with New Image at O’Neal’s New Year’s Eve party at the ritzy Strega restaurant in Boston. At the time O’Neal was playing for the Celtics.
“I’d had a ton of solos that night,” the Marion resident recalls. “And then after a set of songs I saw Shaq walking towards me. I was nervous, I didn’t know what he was going to say. Maybe he was going to tell us we were too loud. I was prepared for anything. I thought it was going to be a problem.”
But it was anything but a problem.
“He walked up to me and said, ‘You’re a force to be reckoned with.’ As he shook my hand my hand disappeared into his palm. It was crazy. When he complimented me with his very distinct voice it was just awesome. I was in awe of this guy I’d known all my life.”
Monteiro hasn’t had any further communication with the basketball legend, but the memory hasn’t faded.
“When a celebrity comes up to you it’s a whole different thing. It’s not like taking a picture with someone, it’s a really cool experience.”
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