Mike Henry recently shed light on the light-hearted nature of Shaquille O’Neal. In the latest episode of The Mike Henry Show, he reflected on an age-old incident surrounding the NBA icon in the presence of Kevin Michael Richardson. According to the voice actor, Shaq once hit on Sanaa Lathan while highlighting his then relationship status.
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Henry recalled a phone call with Diesel from his The Cleveland Show days. At that time, upon knowing the casting of Lathan in the show, Shaq immediately expressed his intentions to the 58-year-old. The actor reminisced on that instance while mimicking Shaq’s voice, resulting in a unique crossover between NBA and Hollywood.
“I was talking to him over the phone and I was like, ‘Yeah, Sanaa Lathan plays my wife’. He was like, ‘Tell her now that I got divorced that she can play my wife,'”
The panelists treated the entire exchange as a source of entertainment while admitting their admiration for the Big Aristotle. Yet, there might have been certain truth to Shaq’s words as his divorce from Shaunie in 2011 coincided with the timeline of the show (2009-13). In the end, the former NBA star missed his opportunity, spurring him to try his luck elsewhere.
Shaquille O’Neal has since refused to put his head down
This episode captured two of the most prominent sides of Shaq’s character. While putting his humourous nature into the limelight, it also showcased the flirtatious aspect of his personality. Interestingly, the 7ft 1″ icon has carried both of them forward to this day.
One such instance came into the spotlight during his time with the Miami Heat. In a press conference, the 2000 MVP shared a funny exchange with Corby Davidson, portraying his popularity amongst off-court peers. The duo infamously discussed an incident surrounding sucking the venom out of the chest area, with Shaq expressing his willingness to do it for Davidson’s wife.
Another such moment became public when Diesel appeared on E! News in September 2019. The 52-year-old shared flirtatious exchanges with the hosts throughout the interview. However, he appreciated them in the end, shedding light on his kind-hearted character.
These instances continue to add layers to his personality to this day. Even now as an analyst, the big man has stayed on the path to entertain the viewers. Undoubtedly, his off-court conduct keeps on setting examples for the stars around the league while further popularizing him amongst the fans.
