Shaquille O’Neal indulged in a lot of diverse projects after signing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. It was impossible to limit a charismatic showman like Shaq to only basketball in a town like LA. The fame and attention that followed the Diesel in LA as the Lakers’ centerpiece(on an unprecedented $120 million deal) provided him many opportunities in different avenues. Shaq soon started making Hollywood movies, along side destroying defenses in the NBA. However, pretty much like his first few years with the Lakers, his movies failed to attain a lot of success. But that didn’t stop the Shaq-tainment. Two years after his $18,900,000 box office bomb Kazaam, Shaq left the Saturday Night Live audience in a fit of laughter after getting spanked by Tracy Morgan live on air.
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The fantasy comedy film Kazaam hit the theatres the same year Shaq moved to LA. However, the much-anticipated movie failed to deliver as per expectations, leading to a box office bomb. It managed to collect only $18.9 million against a budget of $20 million. The 1997 Superhero movie Steel, featuring Shaq, would also turn out to be a major bust, with a return of only $1.6 million on a $16 million budget. But it would hardly deter Shaq from trying out his luck in Superhero films, as he would once reveal his desire to replace Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU films.
Shaquille O’Neal got spanked by Tracy Morgan live on air
Shaq recently posted a clip from his SNL cameo in 1998 with popular comedian Tracy Morgan. In the skit, Morgan plays the role of Shaq’s dad, tasked to discipline him for coming home late.
After Shaq returns home at 2 o’clock in the morning, Morgan tells him to lay on his lap so that he can spank him. The Lakers superstar refuses to comply, but is eventually forced to obey his ‘dad’. The audience burst out in laughter as Shaq tried to place his 7’1 frame on Morgan’s lap. The actor comedian started the spanking immediately after Shaq tentatively placed his body on his lap, “How many times have I told you to get your a** back home in time…!”
Shaquille O’Neal posted the clip on his Instagram to remind his audience of the hilarious episode. “listen to dad,” the four-time NBA champion wrote in the caption, as if to echo his father Phillip A. Harrison’s life-long advice.
Shaq’s father kept him on the right path
Shaq has expressed his gratitude to his father, Phillip Harrison, on numerous occasions for keeping him out of trouble in his childhood. In other words, the fear of his dad’s a** whopping kept the big fella away from being a juvenile delinquent.
Harrison also instilled in him his military habits to pave a clear path to success. Shaq tries to do the same for his six kids.
