Shaquille O’Neal‘s side quests keep earning him lasting bonds that matter. The most recent one he formed came from the sets of ABC’s reality show. And it’s not just the 4x NBA champ who values it, but the feeling of love and affection is mutual, as witnessed from recent social media posts.

In a post shared by ABC network’s IG account, Shaq was asked how it was working alongside Gina? “You mean my work wife? Gina is the best and we’ve had a blast working out together,” he replied. The 4x NBA champ also mentioned how the visits from his co-hosts’ little baby had also been a fun experience. “I love you @Shaq,” Gina wrote in the caption, re-sharing the post featuring nothing but the 15x All-Star’s words of praise for her.

As most fans would know, the two stars recently worked on a reality show together. For those who are unaware, the show in discussion is ABC’s Lucky 13. “Lucky 13 tests contestants’ knowledge with 13 true-or-false trivia questions but with a cunning twist: Just how well do they know what they know,” read the synopsis of the show on ABC’s official website. The winner takes home the winning amount of $1 million.

Although the audiences had mixed responses to the show on social media platforms, Shaq really seemed to enjoy working on it. In fact, the big man even got emotional when the shooting for the show wrapped up. “As you can see, I’m crying. This was a nice two weeks. Everybody at Lucky 13, I love you,” Shaq said in a BTS video shared on Instagram.

As for Gina, even she enjoyed the experience and the time with her co-host. Earlier, she even mentioned that Shaq had really grown fond of her little baby, Charlie. In fact, whenever she needed a break, it was the 4x NBA champ who’d take care of him. And the bond was mutual, as Rodriguez revealed once that Charlie fell “madly in love with him.”

Gina Rodriguez’s son has a nickname for Shaquille O’Neal

During an interview with PEOPLE, Rodriguez shared a sweet story about how her son lovingly refers to Shaq as “Tío Shaq” (Uncle Shaq). It all started when they snapped a picture of little Charlie in Shaq’s massive shoes. Rodriguez was so charmed by the image that they made it into a T-shirt, gifting it to the former LA Lakers star.

Charlie’s bond with the towering star has stuck ever since. The moment became even more endearing when they sat down to watch the first episode of Lucky 13. Rodriguez expected her son to be impressed by seeing his mom on the screen, but he had other plans.

“… Charlie looked at the screen and said, ‘Tío Shaq,’ and wasn’t even fazed it was me,” the actress told PEOPLE. You can almost picture her playful frustration when she pointed to herself, saying, “What about Mom? Mama’s right there!” But all little Charlie cared for was his Uncle Shaq. It’s clear Shaquille O’Neal and Gina developed a close bond over their recent show. And fans may as well further want to witness the two collaborating on other projects.

Stay tuned for more updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.