Few athletes embrace humor like Shaquille O’Neal. Whether he’s laughing at his own expense or clowning Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA, Shaq has made it clear over the years that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. A massive fan of stand-up comedy, Shaq has attended countless shows by comedians like Aries Spears and Kevin Hart.
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It’s a lesser-known fact that Shaq was the one who made Hart a household name at the beginning of his career. In 2009, Shaq invited Hart to headline the Shaquille O’Neal All-Star Comedy Jam. His set became immensely popular and gave Hart’s career the boost his talent deserved. Today, he’s a global superstar.
However, not everyone has a soft spot for one of the toughest art forms. On a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, comedian Karlous Miller joined him and pointed out how Shaq laughs at everything. There’s no limit to how far a comedian can go when talking about Shaq to his face. When asked if there’s a line one can’t cross, he said, “No, nothing…Everything is on the table.”
This reminded Adam Lefkoe of Tom Brady and how he had a few rules for Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady. Miller said, “Ain’t nobody scared of Tom Brady though. I’d slap the sh*t out of Tom Brady.” In response, Shaq said, “That is true.”
Although Brady’s courage to sit in front of thousands in attendance and millions around the world watching it live was commendable, he had a few reservations. Brady had made it clear that he won’t tolerate jokes about his kids and Robert Kraft’s massage scandal. So, when Roastmaster General, Jeff Ross made a joke on the infamous scandal, Brady walked to him and said, “Don’t say that sh*t again.”
Shaq was also one of the roasters on the iconic Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. It’ll be interesting to see if the big fella will ever have one centered around him.
Shaquille O’Neal has a fear of comedy
Shaq has always been a fun-loving, easy-going person. He cracks jokes and knows how to take a joke as well, a quality that’s unfortunately missing in most celebrities. The NBA legend has a deep appreciation for people who can stand in front of an audience and make them laugh for a living. Many famous comedians have co-signed his humor as well.
However, despite the validation of some big names in the art form, Shaq believes that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a comedian. In fact, he has admitted that he has a fear of comedy. During a conversation with Tom Segura on his podcast, Shaq said, “Comedy scares me, it really does.”
Segura was surprised by this statement. He said, “You’re such a showman.” The comedian assured Shaq that he is a hilarious person to be around and that he should have more confidence in his humor.
