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“I got the Michael Jackson treatment in Australia!”: Shaquille O’Neal describes his time Down Under, thanks people for their love

Raahib Singh
Published

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NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently completed a trip to Australia, where he was moved by all the love and affection shown by people

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most famous personalities to emerge from the NBA. The 7’1 big man made an impact on the game with his dominant style of play. He played for 19 seasons, winning 4 championships along the way. Shaq, along with Kobe Bryant, led the Los Angeles Lakers to a three-peat to start the millennia.

Due to his countless achievements and his excellent game, Shaq is considered one of the Top-10 players all time. Thanks to his giant frame, it’s not easy for Shaq to blend in with the crowd. He is recognized almost instantly wherever he goes.

Turns out, the same isn’t limited to just the United States of America, but also applies in Australia. Recently, the big man toured down under. Returning back home, he was back on the Big Podcast, where he talked about his time there.

Also Read: “There is no loyalty in sports!”: Shaquille O’Neal had put the New England Patriots on blast after letting Tom Brady walk

Shaquille O’Neal describes his Michael Jackson moment

While he was in Australia, the former Lakers big was keeping busy, and went from one interview to the other. Shaq talked about how overwhelming the love was down there. Shaq retired back in 2011. Even though he hadn’t played in 12-13 years, Shaq received so much attention. He was moved by the same and all the love shown to him.

The big man was moved by the same. He narrated an incident where he was supposed to be at a store and they were expecting a crowd of 100 people. Instead, 15,000 people showed up, yelling ‘Shaq! Shaq!’

The Diesel was moved by the same, and described the same as his Michael Jackson moment.

Also Read: Shaquille O’Neal, who had a public feud with ‘Mamba’, once sang ‘want to be like Kobe Bryant’ on a bus ride

Being one of the greatest to play basketball, Shaq is too humble to think that he won’t be recognized all over the world. If it wasn’t his work on the basketball court, his antics on TV, or on social media are enough for people to know his name. Forget his play or antics for a moment, it’s hard not to recognize a 7’1″, 325 lbs big man.

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

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Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.

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