Shaquille O’Neal‘s 7’1″ frame may have been what made him so dominant in the NBA, but everything comes at a cost. Due to his 351lb weight, Shaq is also restricted from doing countless activities the average Joe would have no problem doing. And as the big man revealed during a recent interview with Bobbi Althoff, that list seems to include horse-riding as well. Unfortunately for Shaq, he had to find this out the hard way.
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During the very same interview, O’Neal also revealed that he is unable to skydive and scuba dive due to his size. Going into detail about why he was restricted from participating in these activities, the following is what the big man said:
“Skydive, scuba dive… I am too heavy because when you scuba dive they give you weights and then when I went down I hit the button, but I never came back up. Almost drowned.”
Fortunately, O’Neal was able to get back up to the surface after his instincts kicked in. Chanting ‘Shaqmu’ to himself (inspired by Shamu, a killer whale), O’Neal revealed that he found a way to wiggle to the surface. The interview saw Shaq recounting plenty of these hilarious stories that the viewer might have to take with a grain of salt.
Shaquille O’Neal reveals the painful story behind why he can’t ride horses
Ever since he retired from the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal has been putting his $400 million net worth to good use. The big man is 51 years old already, and hence, wishes to live life to its fullest, whether that means being a successful DJ, or trying various adventure sports.
One of the things Shaq wished to try was horse riding. However, unfortunately for him, his frame rendered most horses too small to fulfill his wish.
Determined to make it happen anyway, O’Neal decided to purchase a ‘big horse’, one that could support his weight. However, instead of seeing his dreams come true, the big man had a brush-in with death. Here is what he said on the matter, during his recent sit-down with Bobbi Althoff:
“Yeah, [I have ridden a horse]. He tried to kill me. It was a 22-hand Percheron. Big horse. But what I didn’t know is he was a carriage horse. And then, when I tried to get on him, he tried to ‘Bronco Billy’ me… He was a carriage horse, and then another guy owned him, and I bought him from the guy.”
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‘Bronco Billy’ is an old Clint Eastwood movie from 1980. Shaq used the name to explain how the horse violently rocked him back and forth to get him off his back. Shaq would later assure Bobbi and all her viewers that the horse is healthy and well, eating ‘snacks’ in Orlando.
Fortunately, neither the horse nor Shaq was hurt in the aftermath of the incident. However, given what happened, it is a bit unlikely that the big man would ever try to ride a horse again.
Shaq didn’t always want to be tall
Many may look at Shaquille O’Neal and feel a bit jealous that they aren’t as tall as him. However, there was once a time when Shaq himself wanted to be much shorter. Here is what he said on the matter.
“I didn’t want to be tall… But a disadvantage can always turn into an advantage because I didn’t want to be tall, all the stuff that my little friends could do, I could do. You jump off this building, let me do it, you do skateboarding, and on the bicycle, you do a curved window and you bring the back tire, let me do it. Helped me become more athletic. Oh, you can breakdance, well let me do it. So it affected me little bit but I was like okay, you right, I look crazy tall, but I’mma just hang out with these little guys and just do what they do.”
Fortunately, O’Neal eventually treated his height as a gift, rather than a curse. Today, he even relishes using it vehemently to bolster his marketability, something that has only added to his net worth.
