Shaq owes his NBA career to his father.
Shaquille O’Neal had a hidden knack for football.
Shaquille O’Neal, the towering 7-foot-1-inch, 325-pound NBA legend, recently revealed that he could have been just as much of a force in the NFL as he was on the basketball court. During a conversation on comedian Kountry Wayne’s podcast, Shaq opened up about his early football aspirations, and it turns out the NBA wasn’t always his first love.
When Wayne asked O’Neal if he ever considered a career in football, Shaq confirmed that he had played tight end and seriously thought about pursuing the NFL. However, his dreams of gridiron glory took a turn after a pivotal moment with his father.
Shaq shared that one day his father came home and smacked him on the back of the head with a newspaper. The headline? A report on Jon Koncak, the Atlanta Hawks center who had just signed a $15 million deal over three years. That moment was a game-changer for Shaq, who realized that basketball might be the more lucrative path.
“I didn’t think I had enough for football, so I switched to basketball,”Shaq admitted, adding that he brought that same football toughness to the hardwood. And anyone who watched Shaq’s career highlights knows just how much punishment he dished out to his opponents.
Shaq and his feud with Shannon Sharpe
However, it turns out this isn’t the only brush the Los Angeles Lakers great has had with football. The retired NBA star has also been embroiled in a heated feud with former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe. The beef began when Sharpe accused Shaq of being jealous of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who recently won his third NBA MVP title.
Sharpe criticized Shaq on his podcast, suggesting that the NBA icon should have secured more MVPs during his career. In response, Shaq fired back on Instagram, accusing Sharpe of trying to stir up controversy just for clicks. Shaq made it clear that he was defending another player, not harboring jealousy toward Jokic.
“Don’t forget I know what you did to get where you’re at,” Shaq wrote, flipping the jealousy accusation back at Sharpe.
While Shaq’s NFL dreams may have been left on the sidelines, his legacy as one of the most dominant forces in basketball history is unquestionable. But who knows-maybe in an alternate universe, Shaq would have been crushing defenses instead of backboards.
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