Shaquille O’Neal was a scary, vicious, and dominant player on the basketball court. However, in his post-retirement role as an analyst on NBA on TNT, the Hall of Famer is an affable comedic genius. He has created some of the most meme-worthy moments in social media history. On Sunday, the magnum opus of iconic memes, featuring O’Neal, completed its third anniversary.
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On January 14, 2021, then-Houston Rockets star Christian Wood had an incredible outing against the San Antonio Spurs. The forward scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 109-105 win for his team. During the post-game interview, the entire NBA on TNT crew spoke to Wood about his form and the Rockets’ win. When it was O’Neal’s turn, he said,
“Christian. This is Shaq. I owe you an apology, I wasn’t familiar with your game.”
Wood did not appreciate O’Neal’s backhanded compliment and called him “a casual,” implying he didn’t follow or know much about the NBA apart from surface-level knowledge. However, the three-time Finals MVP’s line went viral. O’Neal’s quote card became the standard response to any athletic performance that deviated from the norm.
One terrific example of the quote card being used as intended features the Los Angeles Lakers icon himself. After Devin Booker‘s incredible 36-point outing against the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the Suns’ Western Conference semifinal series, O’Neal told the superstar guard,
“Devin Booker, I’m sorry, I owe you an apology. I got on TV and said you won’t go for 20-for-25 (shooting) again. You messed around and went 14-of-18. So sir, I apologize, love the way you’re playing and now we have a series.”
A fan responded to the clip of O’Neal’s apology on X, (formerly Twitter), with the iconic quote featuring him.
Shaq to Devin Booker pic.twitter.com/HvGJ27SjxQ
— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@VatorSports) May 8, 2023
Several clips and quotes from O’Neal are regularly used as reaction memes on social media. However, his conversation with Wood remains the holy grail, since it happened.
The many memes featuring Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal’s incredible life, off the field, captured on tape, has given fans an unfathomable number of memes. However, there are a few that tower above the rest.
One of them is a grainy image of O’Neal sitting in the driver’s seat of a car and doing the peace sign while looking away from the camera. The photo has the text, ‘Understandable, have a nice day’ written on it. It’s used as a sarcastic response to end a conversation. It is also used as a response when a person asks for something, but their request is denied, so they don’t bother pleading for it further.
Iconic Shaq memes pic.twitter.com/epF39R60aH
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) January 16, 2024
Another is a close-up image of O’Neal sleeping. The Hall of Famer posted the photo on one of his social media profiles, and it instantly became a meme. People used it as a response to disregard someone’s excitement. People reply with this image in posts where a person is trying to create hype about an event, an athlete, or a performance.
Another iconic O’Neal meme came from his appearance on the Hot Ones. Fans love watching their favorite celebrities struggle to keep their composure, sweat profusely, swear due to the pain, and continue answering Evans’ questions.
When O’Neal appeared on the show, he acted cocky and claimed the spice won’t affect him, dismissing even the infamous Da Bomb hot sauce from Kansas City, Missouri. He cockily took a large bite and instantly regretted it.
He turned to the camera with watery eyes and said, “I apologize Kansas.” O’Neal chugged milk to negate the effect of the sauce, to no avail. The video went viral instantly and gave the world another meme. People use it when they are surprised. O’Neal’s catalog of meme-worthy moments is endless. And he continues to bless the fans with more every year.
