“Can stop anytime” were Shaquille O’Neal’s words on one of his admitted addictions, but seems the time is not yet. Gambling could have been a guess, but Shaq at this point is in no mood to lose any money. Especially when he is reportedly aiming at the billionaire status. He, however, did not shy away from admitting to one thing he was addicted to. But now the word addiction has been replaced by hobby as it seems.

When asked about his hobbies during a recent appearance on Houston Texan, Shaq playfully dodged the question, saying, “I’m not allowed to say that. I smoke hookah every day.” A lighthearted admission, sure, but it’s hard to ignore his earlier confession about being “addicted.” This story came to light during Charles Barkley’s appearance on Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.

On the show, Letterman and Chuck watched a footage of Letterman hanging out with Inside the NBA crew backstage, when the former LA Lakers star admitted to his addiction. Imagine this–the Inside the NBA crew heading out for drinks while Shaquille O’Neal has to opt out since he does not drink. Barkley, ever the storyteller, mimicked Shaq’s frustration perfectly, “You guys are a******s. I got nothin’ to do after the show.””

And then came the twist that only Shaq could pull off. Feeling left out after two weeks, he strutted into Studio J with a solution. “I solved my problem. I bought a hookah bar,” he announced. Barkley couldn’t help but laugh, quipping, “That lets you know he got too much money.”

Letterman, intrigued by this unexpected turn, pressed Shaq about his new hobby. “So you’re addicted?” he asked. True to his self, Shaq didn’t shy away, replying, “Yes,” while insisting he “can stop anytime” he wants. But from his recent interview on Houston Texan, it seems he has not reached that desire of quitting.

Notably, Shaq’s 2022 purchase of a hookah bar was his way of avoiding alcohol, because of his mother’s struggles with alcoholism. The concern for some, however, can be one vice replacing another.

The time when Shaquille O’Neal’s obsession with hookah seemed a bit unhealthy

Imagine showing up to work and finding your co-worker has set up a hookah lounge right outside the office. Sounds wild, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened when Shaq joined Inside the NBA. On the All the Smoke podcast, Kenny Smith once hilariously recalled Shaq’s early days with the crew.

“He created a hookah lounge in the studio… He was like, ‘I have to have my hookah,'” Smith shared. And believe it or not, the network went along with it. Setting up a cozy hookah corner complete with a TV just for Shaq.

But not everyone was thrilled. Between his entourage and the VIP treatment, Shaq’s grand arrival rubbed some colleagues the wrong way. Thankfully, those early bumps smoothed out, and the cast went on to create some of the most entertaining moments on TV.