Listening To Mother Lucille’s Advice, Shaquille O’Neal ‘Refused’ To Wear A $5,000 Suit On TV to Promote his Movies

Shaquille O’Neal has tried it all when it comes to stepping on multiple ventures and career opportunities. The Big Diesel, who is a permanent analyst for TNT, has done everything. Rapping, DJing, acting, you name it.

As soon as he became a famous name on the biggest Basketball stage of the world, directors, producers, and TV show hosts all wanted the 7-footer to work with them.

And he became famous right when he entered the league in 1992. But even though he was too young to turn down movie offers and world-famous talk show hosts, O’Neal always remembered what his mother told him.

Also read: “I’ll Never Get to See Kobe Bryant Again”: Shaquille O’Neal Offers Advice to those Feeling Disconnected from Friends and Loved Ones

Shaquille O’Neal did not want to wear a $5000 suit to make corny jokes, his mother taught him otherwise

Talking about how he kept dodging one of the most famous talk show hosts at the time, Arsenio Hall, O’Neal once revealed it was his mother’s advice that was stopping him from accepting Hall’s invite as well as some movies because she wanted his name to be remembered much more than anything else.

“I never wanted to do movies. Thought about it, dreamed about it. So, when I got drafted, Arsenio Hall kept calling me, ‘hey man, I want you to come on the show?’” O’Neal started.

He continued, “but my mother said, ‘make them remember your name.’ I don’t wanna come on your show Arsenio, in a $5000 suit, and tell you stories and have you laugh. I’m gonna do that ’cause that’s the format, but at the end, I gotta make them remember my name.”

Ironic isn’t it? All he does on Inside the NBA for all these years is wear costly suits and make corny jokes.

Shaq did all of those things he didn’t want to do and still, people remember him

Coming, to not doing movies and talk shows, O’Neal did all of them, and although he didn’t have a terrific acting career (cough-cough, Kazaam!), the $400M worth man is a consistent presence on Late Night shows, and it did start with his first appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show as soon as he came into the league.

Guess he couldn’t resist Arsenio anymore.

It’s almost 30 years since his NBA debut, and almost everyone in the world who has any social media handle knows a thing or two about the Big man. Moma Shaq aka Lucille O’Neal must be proud.

Also read: Shaquille O’Neal, who has sold 1.5 Million albums, revealed how he landed a 3-album, $10 million deal

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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