In the 90s, Michael Jackson’s popularity was greater than perhaps any other artist in the world. The King of Pop ruled the world and everyone bowed down to his whims. There was one man, however, who once withstood even the brunt of Jackson’s desire. Shaquille O’Neal, widely known as one of the greatest centers to ever play, owned a gorgeous mansion in Orlando.
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It was a house so beautiful, that even Michael Jackson had tried his best to own it. But O’Neal’s agent helped the Magic superstar acquire his lakeside dream house. While on the Revolt Podcast, Diesel detailed how Michael once arrived unannounced at his house and offered to buy it from O’Neal. In a heartfelt homage to Jackson after his death, O’Neal also revealed how he was able to keep MJ entertained at his house even after refusing the offer.
Shaquille O’Neal impressed Jackson with his ‘Superman Bed’
After Jackson’s death, Shaq was crestfallen. The Lakers legend had loved the King of Pop since the 80s. In his homage, O’Neal wrote how Jackson had influenced his life in detail.
The 7ft 1″ giant revealed that after Michael gave him a visit to look at his house, Shaquille O’Neal not only offered to show him around but also requested him to stay. He wanted Jackson to meet his sister, who was a big fan of the legendary musician.
Shaquille also confessed that while Michael Jackson really liked his studio, his ‘Superman bed’ impressed him the most. Per Shaq, MJ believed it was the coolest thing he had ever seen in his life.
Shaq: “One day out of the blue, there was knock on the door and when I opened it—there stood the King of Pop in all his glory. I’m rarely without something to say, but on that day and at that moment I was speechless. He wanted to see what I’d done with the place (LOL), so I took him on a tour. As you might expect, he loved my recording studio and couldn’t get over my round Superman bed that fits 45 people. He thought it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen. Having just gotten a taste of fame myself, I was really surprised by how normal and kind he was. I could tell he really enjoyed just hanging out and talking for a while about basketball and other stuff going on with me. He liked just being a regular guy for a moment.”
O’Neal continued: “Since he was so nice, I asked him to hang around a little longer so my youngest sister, Ayesha, could come over to meet him. She loved Michael on an entirely different level and would have killed me if I hadn’t held him there for her. He stayed, and it was probably one of the best days of our lives. He came back to visit another time with Lisa Marie Presley. She loved my Superman bed, too! A couple years later, when I became a Los Angeles Laker, Michael invited me to Neverland for the day. Again, I was speechless. To go to someone’s house that had a zoo and roller coaster was surreal. I was more excited than any of the kids there. I had a ball and so did Michael.“
Shaq’s refusal landed him an invitation to MJ’s house
Interestingly, after O’Neal refused but entertained Michael Jackson, the Pop sensation invited Shaq to his house. O’Neal discussed it in detail on the Revolt Podcast. He claimed:
“MJ showed up at my house and tried to buy my house in Orlando. Yeah, he just showed up at the door… So I had this big 70,000 square meter, and I had a bed that fits 50 people. He looked around the house, he said ‘I want to buy the house.’ and I’m like ‘It’s not for sale.’ Then I went to his house, this dude had a real zoo at his house. Not animals, this dude had a real zoo.”
On some level, both Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jackson had kept that kid inside them alive. All their extravagant purchases were just a reflection of their childhood desires. Perhaps that is the reason they hit it off so well even though Shaq refused Michael’s offer for the house.
