“Comedy Kind of Scares Me”: Shaquille O’Neal Refuses to be a Comedian Owing to a Major Difference From Basketball

Shaquille O’Neal is a goofy and fun person, which makes him one of the most beloved basketball legends among NBA fans. In fact, Shaq’s goofy and funny personality is enough for people to believe he is eligible to try his luck in standup comedy. However, being involved in basketball for almost the entirety of his lifetime, the 4x NBA champion feels scared to step into a new field, especially the comedy genre.

Shaq has proven on numerous occasions that he is best suited for comedic roles. Pretty much everyone loved the Big Fella in The Grown Ups 2 and The Smurfs 2 movies. However, speaking on a recent appearance on The Dear Father podcast, O’Neal revealed his deep anxiety about delving into the standup comedy industry.

When asked by the host if he had ever considered giving standup comedy a try, Shaq replied,

“Actually, no. Comedy kind of scares me.” 

Explaining himself further to the host, Shaq added, “When you’re in the basketball setting playing with the guys, if my game ain’t starting off great, I miss three or four shots, somebody can pick it up, and we can still maintain the momentum on the crowd.”

Equating the same with comedy, Shaq added that in comedy, if the first two or three jokes aren’t hit, the whole show is pretty much done for. “If I was to get into comedy, I would have to be raw and dirty,” said the 4x champion, adding how he considers Mike Jeffrey Joiner and Katt Williams as two of his favorite comedians.

On that note, Shaq concluded by saying he is a huge fan of comedy and will always remain so. Furthermore, if any comedian were to joke about him, he wouldn’t really mind as he does not consider himself sensitive. Nevertheless, it’s refreshing to see Shaq embrace his fun and goofy side in a sporting manner while not neglecting the field he has set his foothold on. As far as comedy is concerned, Shaq has proven himself to be a fun guy to be around and brings smiles to a lot of people around him. Even his teammates agree to it.

KG recalled Shaquille O’Neal and Nate Robinson acting like a comedy TV show

Shaquille O’Neal was always the life of the party for any team he played for. Be it in Miami, Los Angeles, or in Boston, Shaq’s presence was enough to light up the locker room with fun, frolic, and laughter. When the big fella played for the Boston Celtics during his final season, he had formed an incredible bond with Nate Robinson, enough for Kevin Garnett to term them as protagonists of a comedy reality TV show.

“Shaq and Nate was like f**king reality TV,”  said the Celtics legend, comparing the two to the iconic reality TV show from MTV, Rob & Big. Adding to this, KG said, “That’s what they were like. Always pulling jokes on each other, Nate trying always to dunk on Shaq, and he was always trying to wear Shaq’s shoes. Lord! they was hilarious!” 

Shaq’s shenanigans didn’t just stop after his player retirement. The Diesel continued being as fun and goofy even after assuming an analyst role with TNT as he frequently indulges in fun banter with his co-host Charles Barkley. Well before Kawhi Leonard, Shaq was the real “fun guy,” and all of these instances prove the comedic genius that the NBA legend is.