“Police Ran Up on Us”: Shaquille O’Neal Dodges Inquiry Into Juvenile Delinquency in Hilarious Confession of Tough Childhood

If you thought Shaq would frame himself, you thought wrong. Shaquille O’Neal is not afraid of speaking about his past indiscretions and has more than made up for it. On the return to a revamped The Big Podcast, Shaq got candid with Adam Lefkoe about his history of juvenile delinquency. This time with a hilarious twist. “You got to understand for a guy like me, coming from where I come from, if you mention my name, we made it ’cause it was times me and Ken King [Shaq’s childhood friend] robbed a couple stores and you know police ran up on us,” Shaq said, reflecting on how far he’s come from a tough childhood.

Previously, the Lakers legend used to bring up his delinquency incidents to remind young fans not to do what he did. He’s keeping it lighthearted with Lefkoe, who tried to ask how a then-giant kid (Shaq was reportedly 6’10” in high school) hid out of cops’ sight. “Hey bro, you just make that left, he go left, I go right, we cut to the projects.” Remember guys, Shaq’s not giving you ideas.

He took it a step further, joking about the statute of limitations keeping him out of trouble. When Lefkoe tried to ask when was the last time he stole something, the smart giant tried to turn the tables on his co-host. “I’m not going to answer that… white man just tried to set me up…” 

The Big Aristotle then took a page out of every police procedural TV show and wisely said, “I plead the fifth.” Not that Shaq didn’t get into trouble. “But we always used to steal never get caught. Soon as we get home, like,’ What the hell you all been doing? Empty your pockets,'” he narrated about getting caught by his parents. That resulted in serious consequences that eventually set him straight.

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Before, he’d bring it up mournfully about making his mother, Lucille, sad with his delinquent acts. He now tells kids to listen to your parents and not make them sad. Lefkoe, a new dad, drew from Shaq’s experience. He also joked Shaq didn’t need to steal now that he’s capable of buying an entire store. And he’s done exactly that.

Shaquille O’Neal’s big holiday splurge

To make it up to his mother for his delinquency, O’Neal committed himself to charity. During the holidays, he splurged at Toys R Us to give out presents to kids at Shaq-a-Claus where she started. Now with more many more sponsors, Shaq-a-Claus is a big event visiting cities like South Fulton in Georgia this week for presents giveaways.

A day after the podcast premiere, Shaq and his eldest of six kids, Taahirah, were getting some holiday shopping and she revealed her dad’s generous act. The big man put the purchases of an entire Forever21 store full of shoppers on his tab.

O’Neal can proudly say he made it. And, he’s probably glad his kids are learning about generosity from him.

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