“I Had Enough Money..”: Emotional Shaquille O’Neal Opens Up on Heartbreaking Loss That Nearly Crippled His NBA Career

Everyone aware of the unfortunate incident that took place during the Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals game on Monday is praying for NFL safety Damar Hamlin’s speedy recovery. Several athletes came forth to extend their prayers and sincere wishes to Hamlin and his family. Similarly, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has expressed his worries for the 24-year-old football star too, while also sharing a painful memory in his own career.

Everyone present during the Bills vs Bengals game was affected by the Damar Hamlin incident. However, other than his friends and family, the Bills star’s teammates probably took the brunt of the impact of the incident. In the recent episode of Shaq’s podcast, the Los Angeles Lakers legend and his co-host/NFL veteran Anthony ‘Spice’ Adams recalled similar experiences in their own careers as athletes.

Shaquille O’Neal did not let his personal loss affect his game

Monday night’s incident prompted NFL to suspend the game after Damar Hamlin was taken to the hospital. However, there have been several instances in the past where a game has been resumed following similar situations. In the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, co-host Nischelle Turner stated that if she were Damar Hamlin’s teammate, it would have been hard for her to get her head back in the game after the tragedy. Subsequently, Turner asked Adams how football players prepare themselves mentally in such situations.

“That’s what we’re conditioned to do as athletes. Like we blackout pain. Whether it is emotional, whether it is physical, like whatever it is, we black it out. And we just go out and you know, play the game,” Adams told Turner.

Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal then said that an athlete is conditioned that way since their childhood. They are required to play throughout their high school, AAU, college as they try to be skilled enough to be drafted into the league. Even then, they are required to give their best on the court. The Big Aristotle recalled how his grandmother’s death affected him to the point that he didn’t want to play.

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“And then I said, ‘You know what? She would want me to play’, and I just try to do everything for her and my family. Cause I was thinking about taking the rest of the year off. I had enough money, I just didn’t want to play,” the four-time NBA champion revealed.

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Death of a loved one or any tragic accident would emotionally affect a person. Therefore, the ability to bounce back and focus on the game or any other matter is commendable. In what was much awaited good news, Damar Hamlin is reportedly doing well as he no longer needs a breathing tube for assistance and is able to converse with his family. Nischelle Turner reported during the podcast that Hamlin wanted to know the score of the game immediately after gaining consciousness, echoing a similar mindset to what Shaq and Spice had just described.