Shaquille O’Neal recently shed light on the lesser-known aspects of competitive sports. In the latest episode of The Big Podcast, the 51-year-old opened up about certain unprecedented challenges from his playing days. The 4x champion candidly shared how his incessant need to read criticisms about him led him down an unconventional path.
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The 4x NBA champion admitted that he used to read the comments, which used to affect him a lot. Following this, Shaq mentioned, “It got to a point where I had to get a sports psychiatrist but I was much more advanced than him cause if I have to ask you, ‘How do you know?’, I don’t trust you”.
To find the remedy, the 7ft 1″ NBA icon sought further assistance as he recalled,
“They hooked me up with a nuclear physicist and we was talking and the first thing he said to me was, ‘Why do you care?'”. “You are not great at certain things, why do you care?” the scientist advised him.
After that, the physicist even recommended the 15x All-Star to watch a movie named ‘The Fan’ to gain perspective on the matter. The suggestion worked like a charm on the New Jersey-born as it helped him understand the viewpoint of the doubters. O’Neal reflected on that impact, mentioning, “When I was playing and Kareem would say something, ‘Shaq is a great player but ain’t win a championship’, I can’t say s**t to that”.
Diesel eventually comprehended his responsibility as an athlete better over time. The 2000 MVP recognized how his macro successes would outweigh his micro shortcomings by the end of his career. It further showcased the power behind the statements of the advisor as it affected the mindset of the center irreversibly. In the end, the interaction paid immense dividends as the Big Aristotle left the hardwood as one of the most dominant NBA players of all time.
How Shaquille O’Neal has evolved since then
Ever since becoming an analyst on TNT, the 1993 ROTY has garnered major popularity as an off-court figure. Alongside his entertaining activities on the set, his comments surrounding the NBA centers often catch the eye of the followers. Despite struggling to deal with criticism during one phase of his career, Shaq rarely shies away from the opportunity of becoming a critic.
His back-and-forth exchanges with Dwight Howard made the headlines over the years as Diesel once belittled him for bragging on Instagram. In another instance, the 2x scoring champion demanded more from Karl-Anthony Towns by directing harsh words toward him., “He got the max dollars now. He gotta pull his panties up and play,” he mentioned.
Later, Shaq refused to accept his remarks as a sign of hatred. He rather encouraged the players to consider his comments as their source of inspiration. This further sheds light on the colourful personality of the legend as his endeavours keep on extending his tale.
