Shaquille O’Neal has managed to take his multi-million-dollar empire to even bigger heights after his retirement from basketball. Shaq was the most dominant player in NBA history during his prime and won four championships in his illustrious career. Apart from his on-court dominance, Diesel was famous for his exuberant personality and goofy nature, which earned him a bad reputation for being lazy and laid back. But the four-time champion has always tried to stay away from trouble, fearing to put his mother’s empire in jeopardy.

Shaq claims that he never drinks alcohol in public, fearing the consequences of his actions. But the Hall of Famer breaks his alcohol rule. The reason is a whopping $10 billion!

Shaquille O’Neal’s only reason to break his ‘Alcohol Rule’

Shaquille O’Neal revealed in a 2022 episode of The Drink Champs podcast that he never drinks in public because that might put his mother’s empire in jeopardy. “I do drink, but not in public because I can’t do nothing to jeopardize my mother’s empire… so if I’m at the house, I’ll drink, but I’m not going to drink at a restaurant and jump in a car… cos my father always used to tell me, if you mess the money up, your mama ain’t going to have no house; if you mess the money up, your mama ain’t going to eat.” Shaq is one of the most influential personalities in the world and knows that a single mistake can cost him a lot of money.

But in a recent interview with GQ, Shaq revealed the only time he enjoys a nice drink in public: “When I’m in Beverly Hills, I always stay at the Four Seasons. They got a nice bar, nice restaurant. I’m frequently down there.” Shaq claims that the $10 billion hotel has a great bar that leads to him breaking his no-alcohol rule in public. However, the multi-millionaire still stays mindful and does not go to the pool when drunk. “I don’t go to the pool, because if I take my clothes off, people go crazy. I’m getting sexy. Thirst trap, Shaq.” Superman ended his response with this hilarious quote.

Is the bad reputation of Shaquille O’Neal a myth?

Shaq has garnered a bad reputation for being lazy and laid-back when he was a player. Even his former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant said in an interview that Shaq would have been the GOAT if he had a better work ethic. But Superman was the most dominant player of his era, and the NBA has yet to see a player like Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq is very close with his mother, Lucille O’Neal, and always abides by her teachings.

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It is possible that Shaq developed a false image because he was not as serious as other NBA superstars all the time. The Hall of Famer had a personality that transcended basketball, and he continues to entertain his fans even today.

Knowing how Shaq has managed to grow his empire even after his retirement by making the right decisions, it is possible that his bad reputation was just a myth. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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