Shaquille O’Neal was as dominant an athlete as the NBA has ever seen during his two-decade career. Towering 12 feet over opponents and carrying a personality as big as his frame, Shaq always had the attention both on and off the court. And that larger-than-life persona has made him a favorite target for comedians across the country. But being the true sport he is, Shaq has always taken the jokes in stride.
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Shaq, however, was part of the fun recently. Saturday Night Live veteran Kenan Thompson joined him on his podcast, and from the moment they started riffing, Thompson had Shaq and the listeners cracking up.
The laughter kept coming, and a few zingers even landed on former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, especially a spot-on voice impression. To be fair, Thompson has done impressions of Shaq before, and the former Lakers star loves him for it. But his impression of Perkins remains Shaq’s favorite.
“I love [doing Perkins’ voice]. Running out of breath every time I get to the end of a sentence,” Thompson said while demonstrating his technique, also nailing an uncanny Perkins’ voice, much to Shaq’s amusement.
Thompson, who was there promoting his new book, was then asked what drew him to doing impressions of Perkins. The SNL veteran, now in his 23rd season on the show, revealed that it was the cadence of Perkins’ voice that attracted him.
“Charles Barkley is another one… Well, you know Charles is all about Taco Bell and Crispy Creme. Likes to have a good deal, a good time. Never want to practice too hard and bust Shaq across his head,” Thompson hilariously added.
Shaq went on to ask Thompson what it was like to work on ESPN, expecting him to answer as Perkins. And boy, he wasn’t disappointed.
“I have been on ESPN for since I sat down with the Celtics … It’s been a while. So, all I want to know is what’s the Houston Rockets going to do tonight?” the comedian added, only to be drowned out by Shaq crying tears of laughter!
Well, you might think it could be seen as a bit disrespectful, but Thompson had assured Perkins that he liked the impression as well. Besides, Shaq is the one person who has every right to laugh at other people’s impressions. He’s been made fun of since dogs were wolves!
Shaq digs up Jaime Foxx’s impression of him
The Oscar-winning actor is a brilliant impressionist and is one of the hundreds of comics who have done a Shaq impression on stage. This particular incident occurred in the 2000s, when Shaq was getting along with Kobe Bryant and was still a member of the Lakers.
Here’s the video:
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Shaq had even shared the clip on his Instagram stories.
Shaq and Foxx, of course, share a great friendship and have often thrown shade at each other publicly, all in good fun. The former Lakers star even hosted a 2003 comedy special titled Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Roast 2, which featured Foxx.
