Shaquille O’Neal got a little philosophical during his latest appearance on the GOAT TALK podcast. He shared that watching Deon Cole’s standup comedy changed his perspective on life, inspiring him to rethink his approach to living in the moment.
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In one of Cole’s standup sets, he reminded his older audience that they only had a limited number of years remaining in their life. This particular exchange from the comedian’s special had a huge effect on Shaq, making him realize that he must enjoy every single one of his remaining days to squeeze the last bit of fun from them.
“I was watching the Deon Cole comedy special and it kind of messed me up… He said ‘Where the 40-year-olds at? Where the 50-year-olds at?’ Then after that he said 20-something years left. And that’s been sticking with me. It means in 20-some years I will be 70 years old. So I’ve been just tryna live every day and just have fun cause I’m 52 now,” Shaq said.
The big man considered himself a lucky man for being able to work at the job that he dearly loves even at the age of 52. Additionally, he also claimed to be blessed because of the fact that people of all age groups are able to enjoy his work.
“I’ll be an old man. The fact that I am still working and people still recognize me, I just try to stay blessed, just try to stay humble, and just try to be nice to people,” he added.
This explains Shaq’s vibrant and jovial personality. But his infectious energy isn’t just about having fun himself. He also ensures that everyone around him enjoys the moment too. This is why the NBA on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” is always so full of life, leaving viewers in splits.
Shaq also understands the immense influence he has over his fans. Hence, he takes it upon himself to find different ways to create unforgettable moments for them.
Shaq shared a wholesome moment with a 4-year-old
Shaq is generous in lending money as a method to display his affection for his fans. In the past, he has purchased electronics, jewelry, shoes, and other things for them. But more recently, Shaq took the time out of his busy schedule and gave a younger fan a memory of a lifetime.
The Big Aristotle made a surprise appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show and spent quality time with a 4-year-old internet sensation named “Lil Mike”. Mike went viral on social media for his impressive abilities on the basketball court. However, dunking the basketball seemed to be one skill that he couldn’t envision doing, because of his height.
But Shaq made sure that the young fan was able to achieve this dream.
“Have you ever slam dunked before? Would you like to [dunk]? I can help you,” Shaq surprised the youngster before picking him up and taking him close to rim for him to dunk the ball.
This is one memory that Mike would cherish forever – Shaq lifting him and the crowd cheering him on as he dunked the basketball.
