NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal isn’t weighing in on conversations involving Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, a team employee and his estranged partner, Nia Long.
On September 25, Shaq, Nischelle Turner and Spice Adams discussed many topics, including Udoka’s infidelity. Turner brought the scandalous news up during The Big Shaq Podcast. The 50-year-old mogul declined to comment out of fear of being called a hypocrite.
“I am going to step down from this conversation. I was a serial cheater. It would be crazy and blasphemous for me to get up here and say, ‘Boom, boom, bam.’ I can’t do that,” Shaq began. “I know these guys personally. I know they’re going through a lot because I went through a lot.”
He also expressed that he’s known Long for years. Shaq also said that he “liked her.”
“I just wish that certain parties weren’t involved. I’ve known Nia Long for a long time, and I like her. They’re going through a lot of family stuff. I’m never the guy that’s gonna get up here because of my platform and fake it,” Shaq expressed. “I did it. I was the best at it and not proud of it at all. I lost my family doing it. I lost valuable, important years of my children from doing it. I’m not that guy. I’m real with the situation.”
In April, the former L.A. Laker basketball player appeared on The Pivot Podcast. In the episode, he took full responsibility for the failure of his nine-year marriage to Shaunie Henderson.
In a vulnerable moment, Shaq explained that with the gorgeous mogul– he had “the perfect situation.”
“Sometimes, when you make a lot of mistakes like that, you can’t really come back from that. Sometimes you live that double life and get caught up. I’m not going to say it was her. It was all me.”
He expressed his regret over losing Shaunie to his ego and misdeeds.
“I had the perfect situation,” he continued. “Wife was fine. Kept giving me babies. Still fine. I had it all. I don’t make excuses. I know I messed up. When that d-word happened, I don’t like to use that word. I was lost. Seventy-six thousand square foot house by yourself. Lost. No kids. Go to the gym. Nobody’s playing. You go to their room. Nobody’s there.”
Shaunie married Pastor Keion Henderson in May.
