Having a Mega-Successful TV Career, Shaquille O’Neal Looks Back At His 1st Time on Stage

Apart from the NBA stardom, Shaquille O’Neal has always had a great on-camera personality. And his weekly appearances on TNT’s Inside the NBA or on his podcast are just a testament to that. But did you know about the first ever time Shaq went on stage? Well, The Big Aristotle sat down for an interview where he detailed the first time he ever stepped foot on stage in front of a crowd.

The Lakers legend sat down for an interview with Shawn P. Walchef. Appearing on Entreprenuer’s podcast, Restaurant Influencers, Shaq went on to reveal the role he played during his first-ever stage performance.

“Probably my High School play where I had to play a tree. Oh, you don’t believe me? Here’s the picture.” When the host asked if he was a good tree, Shaq said, “My arms were tired. I’ll tell you that. I just had to stand there.”

 

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Clearly, O’Neal didn’t think too much of the role since he had to stand still and imitate a tree. But from bringing a tree to life to hosting TNT’s show, Diesel sure has come a long way.

Shaq took over the league when he was drafted back in 1992. His popularity skyrocketed and initially, he made his mark on the music industry. Eventually, O’Neal made his way to LA and was welcomed into Hollywood. At first, he went on to play a few roles in movies that seemed more like cameo appearances.

However, Shaq’s screen presence was beloved by so many viewers that appearing on the silver screen became a norm for him. The Lakers legend has appeared in numerous Adam Sandler productions.

He not only has one of the most popular podcasts started by an NBA legend but is a regular on the Inside The NBA show as well.

Shaq seemingly has his hands full

The regular season has a few more weeks before tipoff. Until then, one would think that the Inside the NBA host has some free time on his hands. However, that is not the case.

The four-time NBA champion has started hosting the gameshow Lucky 13. Co-hosting with Jane the Virgin’s star Gina Rodriguez, Shaq seemingly has his hands full this offseason as well.

Apart from hosting shows, O’Neal will also be appearing on the TV series, Gravesend. The show is all set for its third season where the seven-footer will be playing the role of a gangster named Mustafa.

While O’Neal has his hands full so far, his future with TNT is still uncertain. This NBA season will be the last of TNT’s contract with the league. And other media giants like ESPN, Amazon Prime, and CBS are trying to acquire the league’s new TV rights.

So, it may not be out of the picture, but it is still highly unlikely that any of the companies above would pick up all four hosts for a show on their network.