“Hey Shaq, it’s Big Soul, not Big Honey”: A look into Shaquille O’Neal’s list of faux pas moments with international NBA stars Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo

Arjun Julka | 23/03/2022
"Hey Shaq, it's Big Soul, not Big Honey": A look into Shaquille O'Neal's list of faux pas moments with international NBA stars Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo

NBA legend and TNT analyst has a hilarious slip up on air while trying to congratulate Nikola Jokic in his native language.

Shaquille O’Neal leaves no stone unturned in welcoming talent from the foreign land in the NBA. However, sometimes the Big Diesel goes too far, leading to some faux pas moments. The prime example of this is Shaq communicating to these stars in their foreign languages.

And Tuesday night’s segment on TNT with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic was no different. Shaq would try to congratulate The Joker on torching a 30-point double-double in a win against the LA Clippers. And like previous times, Shaq would fail in the linguistic test.


Full marks to O’Neal for his attempt at being multi-cultural. The Lakers legend has tried his hands in Serbian, Greek, and Slovenian, to name a few. However, things haven’t gone as planned, leaving the Hall of Famer red-faced on national television.

Also read: “Shaquille O’Neal, you’re the only guy who can’t begin a barbeque session if you don’t have the sauce!” : When ‘Inside the NBA’ crew won 25,000 dollars on Celebrity Family Feud

Well, this isn’t the first and might not be the last when it comes to Shaq trying to speak to players in their respective native languages.

Shaquille O’Neal needs to hire a tutor for learning foreign languages.

Shaq has a bit of history at trying to communicate to Jokic in Serbian. During the 2021 playoffs, the TNT analyst tried speaking in Serbian only to have The Joker perplexed.

If this wasn’t enough evidence, Shaq had Mavs superstar Luka Doncic in splits while trying to talk to him in Slovenian.

A big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Diesel tried to convey his best wishes to the two-time MVP in Greek. But Giannis can forgive Shaq considering the latter lent him his Superman name.

Though Shaq rarely gets it right, nothing stops him from learning new words in different languages. Nonetheless, we all look forward to watching the four-time champion attempt talking to the international players in their respective native languages.

Also read: “Ah, man! I accidentally crushed my Dwight Howard cake!”: Shaq hilariously shows his ‘appreciation’ for a little gag Inside the NBA pulled on his 50th birthday

The Hall of Famer continues to bring a smile to everyone’s face while it has been a decade since he retired from the hardwood.

 

Post Edited By: Arjun Julka
Giannis Antetokounmpo Luka Doncic Nikola Jokic Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

Don’t miss these