A father of six, Shaquille O’Neal has always prided himself on being a good parent, a supporting father, and a role model for all his children. A savant in the world of business as much as he was a beast on the floor, Shaq has always believed in letting his children create their wealth and has also instilled the same ideology in them. However, when it comes to who’s gonna be the one making Shaq a granddad first, The Big Aristotle has let his kids make their own choices. However, one of them may end up pulling the trigger sooner and more often than the rest. At least, that is how the seven-footer framed it.
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Shaquille O’Neal had Atlanta-based rapper T.I. and one of the league’s most popular former sixth men, Jamal Crawford, make an appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaq a few days ago.
While discussing all things life and basketball, the rapper threw an unorthodox yet intriguing question toward the four-time NBA champion. T.I. wanted to know Shaq’s opinion on who would be the first to make him a grandfather. The Los Angeles Lakers legend did not have any doubt in his mind when he pinned that label on his son, Shaqir O’Neal.
“I’m going to have to go with Shaqir. Cuz they say he’s my light-skinned twin. Myles is a player, Shareef is a player, but yeah, Shaqir is probably going to be the first. And I always tell him like, ‘Hey man, when sh*t goes down, don’t call your mama first. You better call me first, I can tell you that.”
O’Neal’s response had both T.I. and Jamal Crawford in splits. But let’s have a look at Shaquille O’Neal’s sons and what his statement may have indicated. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has a total of three sons.
Among his boys, Myles O’Neal is Shaq’s eldest and is currently 26 years of age. Shareef comes second at 24 whereas Shaqir O’Neal is the youngest of all the boys at 20. Yet, Shaq is confident that Shaqir will be the one doing the deed first.
Shaq was 24 years old when he first became a father in his own life. So, if his youngest son is looking to follow a similar path as Shaq, it may be safe to say that there is still a little bit of time left before Shaqir eventually proves his father right. That said, given that Myles and Shareef O’Neal are nothing to sneeze at either, there is a chance that the Lakers legend is forced to eat his words in the future.
Shaquille O’Neal had no doubts about who would do the deed first
Shaquille O’Neal’s off-the-court persona and his constant appearance as an analyst on the Inside the NBA panel is something almost every American basketball fan and household has come to love. It is not a surprise that Shaq’s personal life does not get enough of the spotlight when the viewers would rather watch him get into a squabble with co-host and Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley.
A Missouri teenager who longed to find tennis shoes that fit comfortably finally has some of his own thanks to NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. When Shaq learned Jor’el—who is one size larger than Shaq at size 23 (Shaq is size 22)-was struggling to afford shoes, he didn’t hesitate… pic.twitter.com/qXJ13ddmYh
— GoodNewsMovement (@GoodNewsMVT) March 1, 2024
However, the 15-time All-Star recently revealed a side of himself fans have not been too privy to seeing. O’Neal shared his thoughts on how things would be once he became a grandfather as it was only a matter of time.
“I tell them, ‘Don’t bring them babies around till they are 2. I’m gonna be the guy that’s gonna give them everything they want. Toys, ride around. Trying not to think about that a lot. I know it’s happening one day. I know I’m gonna be the coolest, youngest, flyest grandpa in the world.”
Shaquille O’Neal is already one of the most lovable sports personalities in the world. It would be a joy to see The Big Shaqtus being all gentle and nurturing with his grandchildren soon.
