Words have always held tremendous weight, but they weigh all the more in today’s world. The evolution of social media has allowed people to hold more power in their beliefs and also to hold people accountable. As a result, it’s imperative to be mindful of what one says. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal nearly learned that lesson the hard way by following in the footsteps of Kyrie Irving and his infamous controversial opinion, which nearly cost O’Neal significant money.
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In 2017, Irving went on a limb and sparked a great deal of discourse due to his comments about the Earth’s shape. He expressed his belief in a conspiracy theory that states the world is flat. This led to a major uproar, which led Irving to retract his statement in 2018.
The topic of conversation was brought up by actor and comedian David Spade. He inquired about Irving’s comments, which led to O’Neal sharing details of his experience due to the controversial claims.
Irving’s comments inspired O’Neal. Not to reveal that he shares the same beliefs, but to add a comedic effect by jokingly siding with the 2016 NBA champion. The reception didn’t go as O’Neal planned, and he faced the consequences shortly after.
In a recent episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq went into detail about his humorous flat Earth comments. The general public didn’t take kindly, and his sponsorship deals took notice. One of Shaq’s undisclosed partner brands at the time held an HR meeting with the 15-time All-Star.
“When I said it and it went viral, they actually called me in and I had to talk to the HR department,” O’Neal revealed. “They were talking about dropping me, and I said, ‘You can drop me all you want, you’re still going to have to pay me.'”
The company began to receive an overwhelming amount of hate mail due to Shaq’s comments. This instance served as a crucial point in O’Neal’s career. He learned that times have changed and understood the weight his words have.
O’Neal gave hints about who the company is, stating he still uses them daily, but no longer works with them. Regardless, O’Neal won’t engage in humorous takes if it walks the fine line of fair and controversial.
