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Masked Singer Hummingbird drops Shaquille O’Neal’s name as a hint, claims the Shaq Vs. reality star helped start career

Adit Pujari
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Masked Singer Hummingbird drops Shaquille O'Neal's name as a hint, claims the Shaq Vs. reality star helped start career

Former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal may be the most defining clue dropped by Hummingbird on the viral show Masked Singers.

Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to reality shows. He is done his fair share of them. The 4-time NBA Champ is after all one of the most famous TV personalities in the world.

And the credit for it goes to his persona and hard work and not the fame he received by dominating NBA. Shaq, following the conclusion of his epic basketball career, forged a path in the TV industry.

People already knew he had a penchant for acting but there was no indication of the immeasurable success coming Shaq’s way in the future.

Though his reality shows by and far failed to reach any critical acclaim, Shaquille O’Neal on Inside the NBA became a sensation. His chemistry with Charles Barkley and their hot takes have entertained the NBA community for over a decade now.

But O’Neal’s impact on TV far exceeds just his shows or Inside the NBA. Shaq’s reference is a staple for many big-end productions.

However, the latest episode of Masked Singers took it to the next level.

Also read: Who Is Allison Feaster? Is She The Celtics Female Staffer Ime Udoka Cheated On Nia Long With?

Hummingbird name drops Shaquille O’Neal as a hint

The Masked Singer is a wild reality TV show that first aired in February of 2019. Now on its 8th season, The Masked Singer has garnered widespread popularity. It has especially received praise for its costume design.

The concept of the show is simple. Contestants wear complete disguises and masks and compete in singing battles. The show takes extra care not to reveal the celebrities’ identities.

So, a major part of enjoying The Masked Singer is guessing the celebrities in an episode. Season 8, which was launched on September 1 saw three contestants eliminated.

Of the three eliminated – Hedgehog, Hummingbird, and Knight – two stars’ identity was revealed. Monty Python star Eric Idle was Hedgehog, and William Shatner was Knight. However, Hummingbird’s identity is still a mystery.

In their introduction, the third contestant to be eliminated named Shaquille O’Neal as part of their crew.

Hummingbird: “I got my start with the help of Shaquille O’Neal and formed a patriotic team that felt like family. Together, we dominated the Super Bowl. My career has been a revelation. But I’m only human. I’m so nervous to step on that stage tonight. But here we go! I guess it’s all or nothing.”

Due to the hints, fans are predicting the mystery character to be *NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick. Apparently, O’Neal helped the band by allowing them to use his Orlando mansion as a recording studio.

Lance Bass: “We lived in Orlando, and our first place that we recorded was his house. So all of our first demos, our first songs were all from Shaq’s house.”

So, Shaquille O’Neal definitely helped launch *NSYNC, fulfilling a major clue. Do you think Hummingbird is indeed Kirkpatrick?

Also read: Why did Ben Simmons end his engagement with Instagram model Maya Jama?

About the author

Adit Pujari

Adit Pujari

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Adit Pujari is an NBA Journalist and Strategist at The SportsRush. He formerly worked as a debate and writing trainer. An avid fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Adit began following the league in 2007. With the Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry ripe, he found himself hooked to the sport immediately. After 15 years of religiously following the league, he decided to use his knowledge base as a sports writer in 2021. Since then, he has worked as an NBA writer, led a team of MLB writers, and has now joined The SportsRush. In his spare time, Adit loves playing pickup games and exploring hidden Himalayan trails.

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