Over the years, Shaquille O’Neal has built his persona as an easygoing and fun-loving gentleman. His funny one-liners along with his punchlines from time to time have made the spectators giggle even during the most serious moments. Despite establishing a major part of his fame around this aspect, Shaq recently made a surprising declaration.
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While hosting the comedian Tom Segura on The Big Podcast, the sports analyst admitted to having a fear of comedy. Expressing his inner feelings, The Diesel mentioned, “Comedy scares me, it really does”.
This statement astounded Segura as he believed Shaq was a natural showman. Consequently, O’Neal elaborated on his stance, comparing his ability with that of a professional comedian. He utilized the guest’s mastery of the craft as a reference, outlining his aspiration to be as humorous as him in the future.
This exchange gave rise to a counterintuitive moment in the minds of the NBA fans. After all, the public is accustomed to witnessing Shaq being the center of hilarious instances. As a player, his off-court comical endeavors acted as the glue in the roster. Not much has changed in his days as an analyst either, with several supporters following Inside the NBA just to watch his on-set antics.
Thus, his recent comments only put into focus his inferiority complex in comparison to the professionals in the same field. At the same time, this may have also been his method of showing respect for Segura’s career in his presence.
Yet, Shaquille O’Neal has never backed down from using the craft
As a school student, O’Neal once had to shoulder the responsibility of preparing products that could sell even in the future. He grasped this opportunity to display his ambition by exhibiting his trademarked products in the class.
However, his efforts failed to impress his teacher. The latter even exclaimed to a young Shaq, “Big guys don’t sell,” encouraging him to come up with a different angle.
Luckily, soon after that, The Diesel found his inspiration in the fictional character, named Spuds MacKenzie. The dog character used by Bud Light Beer in the 1980s had seemingly achieved everything that Shaq wanted at the time. So, he analyzed the commercials starring Spuds MacKenzie to derive the following conclusion:
“His commercials were funny…So, I said, ‘Okay, if I ever get the opportunity to show myself to the world, has to be a lot of humor in all my commercials'”.
Undoubtedly, Shaq had ever since nailed each of the projects he was part of. The advertisements centered around him became entertaining and different, catching the attention of the viewers. Over the years, it has aided in him building a fun-loving personality, consequently boosting his brand value. So, fans want The Big Aristotle to remain the same, despite the doubts that may be swirling in his own mind.
