Shaq Drops A-Word On Why He Doesn’t Text Other NBA PlayersEvolve EditorsMon, April 20, 2026 at 8:39 AM UTC

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Photo Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Shaquille O’Neal, popularly known as Shaq, revealed he doesn’t text other NBA players because “they are a**holes.” In a recent interview, the 54-year-old former athlete shared that he does not keep in touch with his peers. He also shared that he has “denounced” himself from being a celebrity because he is not “weird.”

Shaq talks about why he doesn’t text other players

Shaq recently confessed to why he is not keeping in touch with other NBA players. In an interview with the New York Post, he shared that he is not in contact with any of his colleagues. He revealed boldly, “None. I don’t like athletes or superstars because they’re a**holes. I denounced myself from being a celebrity about 10 years ago because those people are weird. I’m not weird.”

O’Neal dished that he has a more easy-going, down-to-earth lifestyle compared to his other NBA counterparts. The former Lakers star revealed he doesn’t endorse a flamboyant lifestyle. He said, “Whenever I come, it’s me and two guys. No entourage. There’s nothing but homeboys coming in. We come in here, we take care of business… we sign autographs. We treat people with honor and respect… I want to be a regular guy.”

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Despite a super successful NBA career, O’Neal stayed grounded and pursued an education. The former NBA star currently has three degrees — a Bachelor of Arts, an MBA, and a PhD in education. O’Neal confessed that most people think he didn’t earn a Dr. before his name. The 54-year-old stated, “The funniest thing I get is, ‘Oh, it’s honorary.’ I say, ‘No, it’s not. I had to go to school and write papers and do all that stuff.’”

“I’m very super successful without that, but I wanted to stress to my children and children around that education is very important,” he added. Finally, towards the end, O’Neal confessed that some of his fondest memories in his playing career were with the late Kobe Bryant. He admitted that among his most cherished memorabilia were those of him and Bryant. Shaq reminisced, “I have a lot of Shaq and Kobe stuff in the house. It just brings back memories of the greatest one-two punch ever.”

Originally reported by Anwaya Mane on Mandatory.

The post Shaq Drops A-Word On Why He Doesn’t Text Other NBA Players appeared first on Reality Tea.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”