If you think a 53-year-old basketball legend has done it all, then you are wrong. Look at Shaquille O’Neal, for example. He has transitioned from being the best player in the league to now being an analyst on the Emmy-winning show Inside the NBA. That’s not all. Add his entrepreneurial skills, which made him $500 million in net worth, and his love for DJ-ing, which is his side hustle. So, clearly, there is a lot on his plate, and he doesn’t want to stop soon, but even he has some fears.
On the latest episode of his podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq, he had Mike Tyson as a guest. During the hour-long podcast, there was a discussion about being old, and Shaq revealed his knees aren’t working like they used to despite working out and “doing a lot of leg stuff, too.”Then came a rare moment of vulnerability.
“The other day, I was like, ‘Man, I fear old age,’” he further added about his fears. “No, I just like when I see older people, I’m like, ‘Damn! That’s going to be me one day.’ See, like right now, I you know, I say to myself all the time, I have seven summers left where I’m 60 years old. Seven summers.”
Tyson asked him to think about it at the end of the seven summers, where he was going to be? Shaq’s first response was heartfelt — and revealed an unusual request he’s made to his children.”I’m going to be 60 and hopefully I’m not in old folks home. I mean, cuz I tell my kids all the time, I don’t want you taking care of me.” That sentiment — a desire for independence even in old age — is what makes it stand out. It’s not something many parents would say to their children, especially someone as larger-than-life as Shaq. But of course, this is Shaq, and the serious reflection quickly gave way to classic ‘Big Aristotle’ humor.
So, what’s the dream scenario for the Lakers legend? When his co-host jokingly asked whether that meant a future involving nurses or a high-tech wheelchair, Shaq painted a scene no one saw coming: “The dream scenario, there’s a place in Orlando called The Villages. You heard of it? So, The Villages is a old folks home, but they have the highest rate of STDs.” Wait, what? You read that right. The Villages is a 55-and-older retirement community in Central Florida, and apparently earned the nickname ‘the STD capital of America.’
Whether Shaq is serious or not is unclear (and probably irrelevant), but the way he described his plan — complete with a directive to his son — made it even funnier: “I want to be there. They have the highest rate of STDs. I want to be there. Just saying. I don’t know what that means, but you figured out. Highest rate in the country. Yeah. Higher than Vegas. Higher than LA. That’s where I, ‘Hey Shaqir, when I get 65, I can’t move. Take me down to Ocala, Florida. Just drop me off, my boy.‘,” he said during his podcast.
It’s a wild scenario, but there’s also a poetic twist to it. Shaq began his legendary NBA career in Orlando, drafted No. 1 overall by the Magic in 1992. Now, decades later, he’s joking about returning to Florida to ride out retirement — just not quite in the way fans imagined. From center court to The Villages, it’s a full-circle “Orlando return” only Shaq could script. For now, it’s a couple of years away, and maybe Shaq is just kidding — but with him, you never really know.
Previous Shaquille O’Neal wild story
The Los Angeles Lakers legend on Angel Reese’s podcast confirmed his relationship status. “I’m gonna end up alone. I already know it,” he revealed on Unapologetically Angel. Despite the confession to WNBA star, it seems Shaquille O’Neal was not forthcoming with his personal life details. Those details came out after Jess Hilarious joked about having allegedly seen “four white women” in Shaq’s house.
She revealed on The Breakfast Club that she had gone to his house only to find out about the 53-year-old emulating a polyamorous relationship much like the one Ne-Yo! Jess commented on The Breakfast Club, Shaq “got” the women, and O’Neal was shy to own up about his personal matters. Well, he knows how to take a joke and respond with equal sarcasm. Taking to social media, he hilariously joked, alleging that his “four women” have left after the revelation.
“See what happens when yall be all in my business, thanks to yall they left, now im all alone again,” he captioned it. Once again, it was all jokes from the 4x NBA champion, nothing serious to indicate about his lifestyle choices.
Whether he’s talking retirement homes or relationships, Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t hold back. One minute he’s confronting the fear of aging, the next he’s half-joking about catching STDs in a Florida retirement village. What’s clear is this: when it comes to Shaq, the story is never boring — whether it’s serious, hilarious, or a little bit of both.
The post Inevitable Fear Fuels Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Return as Unusual Request to Son Shaqir Surfaces appeared first on EssentiallySports.