Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to going viral for his passionate takes on the NBA. However, the four-time NBA champion has become the face of a new trend on social media without opening his mouth. The reason is due to the Shaq Timeout meme.
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The viral trend involves people on social media sharing a picture of the Hall of Fame big man forming a “T” shape with his hands. The trend typically involves a niche community making a complaint.
A viral post that utilized the picture featured the caption, “When someone says WWE is ‘fake’ instead of ‘scripted’.”
when someone says WWE is ‘fake’ instead of ‘scripted’ pic.twitter.com/E54eimxIFB
— () Deonte DDJ (@deonteddj) October 20, 2024
People have even gone to the lengths of creating a figure or character re-enacting Shaq’s pose to further reach their intended audience. A post captioned, “Me when I’m playing the sims and someone shows up on my sim’s home bringing a fruitcake.”
Me when I’m playing the sims and someone shows up on my sim’s home bringing a fruitcake pic.twitter.com/bZr1Zev95R
— OnlyAbiDoang (@onlyabidoang) October 22, 2024
Users on X have rallied behind the picture to find commonality with one another, which was the purpose behind the image.
The origin of the picture comes from Shaq’s involvement in the ‘Timeout Against Hate’ campaign. New England Patriots owner and founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, Robert Kraft, partnered alongside the campaign.
Although the campaign couldn’t have envisioned uniting people together through the image of Shaq, it resulted in their goal being accomplished.
Shaq’s past popular memes
Similar to his prime during his NBA career, Shaq has dominated the world of memes. Before his viral Shaq Timeout trend, he made his presence felt in the form of other trends.
One of the earlier memes from Shaq’s career was from an advertisement for the skincare brand Gold Bond. ‘The Big Diesel’s’ shimmy dance became a viral GIF that is used all over social media.
Shaq saying Zion should have put some Icyhot on his leg and get back in the game had me crying ##NBAonTNT #NBA #NBAPlayINTournament pic.twitter.com/h2HNNPgDZw
— Context Sports (@ContextSports14) April 17, 2024
However, the biggest Shaq meme comes from his appearance on ‘Hot Ones’. The acclaimed show on YouTube features celebrities eating various spicy wings while trying to answer personal questions. Shaq’s reaction to one of the hottest wings birthed an iconic meme.
@spicy.reactionss The iconic Shaq meme from ‘Hot Ones’ #hotones #shaq #meme ♬ original sound – Spicy.Reactions
Shaq’s been an entertainer during his playing days for his antics on the court. His flamboyant personality has helped him thrive off the court as well. His ability to impact the subgenres of pop culture is a skill that no other athlete can do.
