Although opponents never managed to rattle Shaquille O’Neal during his playing days, the challenges of his post-NBA career came close to testing his self-belief. During an interview with Entrepreneur, Shaq candidly opened up about this difficult juncture.
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‘The Diesel’ initially reflected on how his persistent right Achilles tendon injuries compelled him to retire a season earlier than expected. He missed his deserving retirement tour. This also led him to adjust his plans, which included taking a year-long break before moving into the broadcasting field.
This sudden exit made Shaq anxious. He had to make quick decisions about his post-NBA life. Fortunately, TNT came calling and offered him the role of an analyst on their Inside the NBA show. O’Neal realized this position could allow him to stay relevant in the league beyond his playing days. So, he committed his future to the organization.
“I was actually nervous after I retired because of the way I left the game was a career-ending injury. I still had one more year left and then in the last year, I was gonna do the ‘Shaq Tour’… Then I was gonna take a year off and then fly in… Good thing I joined TNT… It kept my name up there.”
Shaq also recounted how his upbringing was crucial to his decision-making. He recalled growing up in a household that taught him the value of chasing his dreams. As a result, his post-retirement goal was never to earn millions but to keep doing what he truly loved.
“You have a dream, you just go for it… ‘I’m gonna make $600 million out there after I retire’. You never know. But when you’re raised by a drill sergeant, and raised by discipline, you always go with the flow and you always attack your dream.”
It is an understatement to say that Shaq’s decision paid off in the long run. His analysis with a touch of humor has created a unique niche for him in the broadcasting world. This has also led to him landing lucrative brand deals and commercials in his post-NBA career. Although he didn’t set out to make large sums from them, his net worth currently stands at half a billion dollars.
Despite this exemplary success, Shaq failed to meet his high expectations.
Shaq once talked about his regret
The expectations were high when Shaq joined a star-studded Boston Celtics in the 2010 offseason. However, things didn’t go as planned. Injuries sidelined him for 45 games in the regular season. His average dropped to his career-low of 9.2 points per game. The struggles continued in the postseason where he averaged just one point in two playoff appearances.
Shaq referred to this closing stage of his career as the most regretful phase of his life. He felt that he let the fans and the city down. As a result, he decided to call it quits following this campaign and even refused to collect the earnings for the remaining year of his contract. He recounted this period on The Old Man and The Three podcast, saying,
“Not being ‘Him’. ‘Him’ is 28-10. F**king averaged 9 points in Boston. I felt like I was robbing the people. I felt so bad that when they called me back and said, ‘Hey man! We owe you $1.5 [million]’, I said, ‘F**king, keep it.'”
