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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 23: Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal attends the unveiling of the Shaq Courts at the Doolittle Complex donated by Icy Hot and the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in partnership with the city of Las Vegas on October 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Icy Hot)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 23: Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal attends the unveiling of the Shaq Courts at the Doolittle Complex donated by Icy Hot and the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in partnership with the city of Las Vegas on October 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Icy Hot)
NBA titles, MVP awards, and a successful business empire, Shaquille O’Neal has it all. Thanks to his media presence and his exploits off the basketball court, O’Neal is one of the most recognizable faces in the world.
A number of philanthropy schemes under his name also add up to his reputation. Recently, the four-time NBA champion touched upon a very sensitive topic on ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’.
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 25: Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal speaks at the 12th Annual Lakers All-Access Event at Staples Center on January 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
He talked about wanting to help people out and what brings out the negative emotion in him, is actually seeing people who are homeless on the streets.
Shaq said, “Lot of things hurt me and I do have one negative emotion. It hurts my heart when I see homeless people. I wish I was smart enough or had enough power to fix that.”
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The Los Angeles Lakers legend has a number of philanthropy schemes under him that help the underprivileged. Furthermore, he is known for helping out random strangers he meets on the streets and while shopping. However, this is probably the first time Shaq has expressed helplessness with regard to power.
Talking about power, Shaq has never really expressed any political ambitions. The most we know about his interest in politics is a shocking revelation about his aloofness.
Shaquille O’Neal Once Made a Shocking Revelation Around His Interest In Politics
While Shaquille O’Neal might aspire to have the power to help the homeless, he actually made a very shocking revelation a few years ago. Shaq confessed to voting for the first time during the presidential elections in 2020.
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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 27: Shaquille O’Neal reacts during the first half of a game between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
He said in October 2020, “You know I always like being honest on my podcast. I’ve never voted before, America.” However, he did not reveal whom he voted for during the election.
He further touched upon the topic of voting and he talked about how he has a poor understanding of the electoral system. Although he never indulged in politics during his time in the NBA, he is quite active after retirement.
Before he gave his first ever vote during the 2020 Presidential Elections, Shaq partnered for the When We All Vote program with former First Lady Michelle Obama.
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What is your favorite memory of Shaquille O’Neal? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by
Edited by
Veer Badani