SUMMARY
- Shaquille O'Neal recently revealed that he has three major regrets in life.
- They include losing his sister, Kobe Bryant, and his divorce from Shaunie O'Neal.
Shaquille O’Neal usually seems like an extremely happy-go-lucky person. Based on his appearances on television and social media, he loves engaging with fans and having a hearty laugh. Putting this aside, he stands as one of the most accomplished individuals in the sport of basketball. With 4x NBA Championships, gold medals from Team USAB, and multiple other accolades, it’s almost impossible for us fans to think he has anything to worry about.
The former Los Angeles Lakers legend currently spends his time making friends with various people. Notably, he has a great relationship with his co-hosts from TNT’s Inside the NBA. Especially with Charles Barkley, who was once a rival of his in the NBA. But Shaq had another rivalry brewing during his prime and it was against Kobe Bryant. They spent a good amount of time together on the Lakers team before Shaq pursued a legacy separate from the one he shared with Kobe.
Shaquille O’Neal puts on a tough face despite these three regrets
On the Big Podcast, Shaquille O’Neal often gets candid about his life and the struggles he has been through. One of them was losing his wife, Shaunie O’Neal after allegedly not staying true to his wedding vows. Even today, O’Neal counts it as one of his biggest regrets in life. But there are two other instances that he wishes had different outcomes.
During a recent episode, he said, “There’s three what ifs that will never go away. What if I had called my sister two minutes before she passed away and I said, ‘I love you.’ What if I could have dropped my ego and be like, ‘Kobe, what you doing my boy?’ And what if I have did the right thing when I was supposed to do the right thing as a married man.”
He claimed that these are the only regrets that will haunt him forever. Coming back to his relationship with Bryant, years after their careers had ended, the duo patched up. Unfortunately, it was too late as Kobe tragically passed away in January 2020, four years following his retirement. Shaq also broke down on live television while speaking about Bryant’s death.
Shaquille O’Neal sends an important message via his life’s motto
Over a year ago, it was one of the first times Shaquille O’Neal had ever addressed his rocky marriage. During the podcast, he claimed that people contacted him out of concern. However, the former NBA Most Valuable Player said, “I’m still lonely… let me rephrase that, I’m never lonely. I’m a guy that works first. So working takes up most of my day. And then I have to check on the family and check on the kids, that takes up another. And then it’s work and then it’s a hookah break.”
He added, “But I never complained because my motto is, it could be worse. It could always be worse. I’m programmed not to complain.” O’Neal has always been the type to advise and push his peers to be the best versions of themselves. O’Neal has been linked to other women since Shaunie, but it seems like he’s currently single.