When one talks about the great entertainers of basketball, Shaquille O’Neal is an unmissable feature. The Big Diesel flexed his giant frame and strutted into the basketball world and won hearts with his endless charm. O’Neal became one of the most popular players with his antics off the court adding to the shine around his name.
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Shaquille O’Neal became a household name, something strengthened by his pop culture association. Rapping, acting, and dancing, Shaq was an entertainment industry by himself.
Also read: “How My A** Taste?”: Shaquille O’Neal’s Obscene Rap about Kobe Bryant Was Leaked for $1500
Features on prime-time television became a common occurrence in Shaq’s life. Be it on Inside the NBA or on late-night shows, the spotlight wasn’t far away from Superman.
One such appearance on James Cordon’s Late Late Show with Victoria Beckham prompted an intriguing question from Shaq. The question was simple – it concerned the possibility of a “King of England” status for Superman.
What doubts did Shaquille O’Neal have regarding King status in England?
With Corden and Victoria both being representatives of England, Shaq decided to present his query to the duo. “If I marry the Queen of England, would that make me the King of England?” was O’Neal’s inquisitive query to the English duo.
Corden, while explaining to Shaq that that’s not how things work, also promised his support for the motion. “The most sensational thing that could ever happen” is how Corden described the “proposal”.
Shaq, forever a jokester, is seen blowing kisses and asking the Queen to call him. O’Neal, however, makes the fatal flaw and killed his chances before an introduction even. The Big Diesel got his Queens all wrong and referred to the then-incumbent Queen Elizabeth II as Queen Victoria.
For any progress, Shaq would have needed the help of his co-guest, Victoria Beckham. The Beckhams were quite close to Buckingham Palace and if needed, the former Spice Girl could have been Shaq’s “wingman”.
O’Neal’s ploy shall remain a dream, as Queen Elizabeth II passed away earlier this year. For now, the Shaq route to Kingship is practically shut. But hey, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Was this Shaq’s only “proposal” involving a Royal?
Apparently not. And the previous incident involved Shaq getting asked out, and not the other way around.
Shaq, on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, confirmed that he had been approached by a Middle-Eastern princess for marriage. The Big Diesel even went on a date with the princess, who was allegedly “too aggressive” for O’Neal’s liking.
In Shaq’s words, he didn’t even think about the offer. The proposal just wasn’t it for O’Neal. In an alternate universe, Shaq is probably off Inside the NBA and living life as a royal in the middle-east. But not to be in this version of Superman’s story.
If O’Neal maintained his ambition for kingship earlier in life, this probably was his window of opportunity. Just the wrong timing, in one way, for all parties. Regardless, King Shaquille O’Neal does have quite the ring to it. However, it may just go in as a wasted opportunity in the annals of history.
