Shaquille O’Neal appears to have it made with immense wealth and a fun-loving personality, but the larger-than-life superstar recently offered a disheartening admission about his personal life.
O’Neal earned nearly $300 million as an NBA player and remains one of basketball’s most recognizable personalities through his studio analyst gig with Turner. But can he fully appreciate the success without someone to share the joy with?
Speaking to Taylor Rooks for an interview with Bleacher Report, O’Neal discussed his failed marriage with ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal and admitted he has no one to blame but himself.
“When you’re real, you realize when you messed. I live in a 30,000-square-foot house by myself. You don’t think I know I messed up?” O’Neal said. “My wife was fine as hell. I had it. My babies are beautiful. I’m in there by myself. I messed up. It’s the ones that don’t know when they mess up is the ones that don’t ever make it. I messed up, but you live with it.”
O’Neal married his ex-wife in 2002, with the couple having four children together and getting divorced in 2009. Shaunie is now engaged to Pastor Keion Henderson. O’Neal previously admitted to cheating on his ex-wife in his autobiography Shaq Uncut: My Story. Although O’Neal sounds like a person with some regret for the way he handled his marriage, the basketball Hall-of-Famer appears to have reconciled any shame by openly admitting his mistake.
It can’t all be that bad for O’Neal. He may be without a wife, but I’m sure there are plenty of people willing to keep him company in that 30,000 square foot dwelling.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com