Shaquille O’Neal conquered the NBA and won over countless hearts with his prowess on the court. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has continued to do so with his brilliance as an NBA analyst on TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ as well. The must-see cast of Kenny Smith and Earnie Johnson are well accustomed to Charles Barkley and Shaq’s constant squabbles and wild takes. However, the new ensemble, starring Candace Parker and Dwyane Wade, had some adjusting.

Dwyane Wade, Shaq’s former Miami Heat teammate, and close buddy, would have expected what he had in store since the big man’s mouth hasn’t softened since his playing days. On the other hand, Candace Parker arguably had no idea what she was in for when she agreed to work alongside Big Diesel.

The WNBA standout spoke with Taylor Rooks on the podcast ‘Women Hooping’ about what it’s like to work with Shaq and how she tackles his wild takes.

She remarked that Shaq is the same on air as he is in the green room and comes up with outrageous takes even while backstage. Parker then expressed her appreciation for the chance to work with and know individuals she idolized.

The Chicago Sky star then mentioned how much her daughter Lailaa adores the NBA legend. She said she can’t wait to be on the set and play UNO with her uncle Shaq. Big Diesel, being the competitive beast he is, doesn’t even take it easy on the child.

Shaquille O’Neal refused to allow a six-year-old to defeat him in a children’s game

Shaquille O’Neal is certainly a humble character. He recognizes his greatness but is mindful of his place among the NBA’s greats. The big man, however, was a passionate and competitive animal on the hardwood. He arguably never allowed his opponents to dominate him, and he was always driven to be the best player on the court.

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Shaq’s competitive drive shines through in anything he decides to give a shot at, even when playing children’s games.

Candace Parker stated that her daughter, Lailaa, is always excited to go to the set of ‘NBA on TNT’ and play UNO with Shaq. She continued by detailing how Shaq never lets her girl win a game.

“It’s funny to see a facetime and Lailaa’s like ‘is that uncle Shaq?’ and I’m like ‘yes’ and then she can’t wait to go back to the studio for to play UNO because he like destroyed her in UNO,” said Parker. “And I’m like, ‘Can you let her win’. Like why are you making her draw 24 cards and he’s like the whole time like, ‘Take that’, and I’m like, ‘She’s six.'” 

That is, after all, who Shaq is. He is always striving to be the best in whatever he does. Nonetheless, it’s amusing how he refuses to allow Candace Parker’s daughter to defeat him in Uno.

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Shaquille O’Neal, as a successful NBA analyst, continues to bring a smile to the faces of millions of fans with his humor and wild takes.