Former LA Lakers and Orlando Magic star Shaquille O’Neal shared a hilarious video on Instagram. The fan footage showed a big man being mistaken for The Big Shaq. The incident seems to have occurred in Colombia to a group of American tourists and ended up being re-shared by none other than O’Neal himself. One user on Twitter commented on O’Neal’s “weird sense of humor” after the 51-year-old shared the clip on Instagram.
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One of the most dominant players in NBA history, Shaquille O’Neal has continued to stay relevant even after retirement and is well-recognized around the world. Shaq’s unique physicality and fame mean that people of similar build and skin tone are bound to be compared to him.
Tourist hilariously mistaken for Shaquille O’Neal in Colombia
Owing to Shaquille O’Neal’s worldwide fame and huge build, it is easy to see why the man in the video was mistaken for the former NBA star. Initially shared by Sports Illustrated, the clip showed a group of people following a well-built man and chanting “Shaquille O’Neal” continuously.
The man, who was obviously not Shaquille O’Neal, kept repeating that he was actually not O’Neal. The incident seems to be part of an elaborate joke. The man in the clip only resembled Shaquille O’Neal with respect to his build, and perhaps facial hair.
Still, basketball is not generally a hugely-followed sport in South America; chances are that the group of people genuinely thought they had encountered the former basketball star. Shaq ended up sharing the clip on Instagram and evidently found it hilarious. One user on Twitter thought that Shaquille O’Neal’s sense of humor was downright “weird.”
Shaq has the weirdest sense of humor, man pic.twitter.com/FfUWwA7gWt
— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) May 6, 2023
An NBA legend and analyst, film star, businessman, actor, philanthropist, and even a rapper, Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most recognizable faces that the NBA has ever produced. The 51-year-old is a major philanthropist and is generally outspoken about minority rights and other issues.
O’Neal continues to generate wealth long after retirement
O’Neal had a highly-lucrative NBA career which saw him earn around $300 million in salary alone. That money has been put to good use, with his charitable foundation doing some remarkable work back in Phoenix.
Regardless, Shaq’s net worth of an estimated $400 million is not merely a result of his playing career alone. Despite having an extravagant lifestyle, O’Neal made some very smart investments through his career which includes early stakes in both Amazon and Google.
Beyond Meat Scores Investments from Shaquille O’Neal, Lindsey Vonn, and Other A-List Athletes https://t.co/MKOtWAql6p
— NORM FUNG | Real Estate Advisor | San Francisco (@RealtorNormFung) February 22, 2019
That has allowed him to give a lot back to society as well, apart from maintaining a lifestyle that will bring tears to most of his fans’ eyes. Among O’Neal’s large list of luxuries are mansions, a huge collection of luxury cars, a custom treehouse, and even a luxury superyacht. It is fair to say that he has done reasonably well for himself, even with respect to NBA players and their lucrative contracts.
