There aren’t many things that Shaquille O’Neal wants but can’t get. Despite being one of the most successful athletes of all time, one of the 4-time NBA champion’s big wishes remains unfulfilled, something that isn’t likely to change. At 7’1″, Shaquille O’Neal was able to use his size to dominate opponents with sheer force during his time in the NBA. However, the same advantage has stood in his way over the years, restricting Shaq from enjoying some of the perks of his wealth.
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On a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the LA Lakers legend talked about why he wishes to be small. Shaq’s co-host Adam Lefkoe brought out his college friend who had a few questions for the NBA legend. “Was there ever a situation in life where you wanted to be small?”, was his first question. “Only time I wanted to be small is when I walk by, and I see these guys in their little sports cars. Like the Ferraris and the Lamborghinis”, Shaq responded.
He unveiled that he was an “idiot” back in the day when he wanted to own a ‘cool whip’ despite knowing that he was too big to fit in one of them.
But since he wanted to sit in those cars, Shaq would pay an extra 100-200k to customize those cars according to his size. He said, “The Ferraris, I would have to cut the car in half, stretch it, and then do the bodywork. But with the Hellcats, all I gotta do is move the seat back”.
That’s a lot of hassle, especially considering the money Shaq would spend on each of these cars. At least the Hellcats aren’t as problematic as the others which is why Shaq has a special place for this car in his heart. On his 50th birthday, Shaq got himself a Dodge Charger Hellcat with a Diesel Dog Mafia logo. And given the fact that his net worth has only continued to rise, it may not be long before he buys himself another one.
Shaquille O’Neal has struggled a lot with cars due to his physique
Shaq has told numerous stories related to his car struggles over the years. What’s admirable is that the big man never lets go of his passion, even if it requires him to splurge extra money to get it. During one of his conversations with the legendary TV host Conan O’Brien, Diesel talked about the time when he bought two Ferraris so he could cut them in half to make one that fit him. Shaq said that he was mesmerized by the car collection in Beverley Hills when he first moved there, something that made him want to get his hands on a Ferrari.
He said, “So when I went, there was this guy who said, ‘You’re too big,’ and I hate those words. So one of those guys was like maybe you gotta buy two and cut one and a half and put them together. I was like, you know what, maybe I will. I’ll take that one and that one, and I got a Ferrari. I cut them apart and superglued them together”.
That’s the attitude of a true baller. And if there’s anyone in the world who could tell these stories and make them believable, it’s the NBA’s very own Big Diesel.
