Shaq also revealed what would have happened if he had gone to bed early
SHAQUILLE O’Neal has revealed his odd pregame ritual from NBA playing days.
The Los Angeles Lakers icon said he stayed up until the early morning hours to make sure he was in top form on the court the following day.
2
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has revealed his bizarre pregame ritualCredit: Instagram/BigPodWithShaq
2
O’Neal said he stayed up until the early morning hours before games to make sure he was in top form on the courtCredit: Getty
O’Neal, 51, remembered how he would typically spend the evening before an NBA game as he hosted Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson his The Big podcast.
Iverson recalled how his former head coach Jim O’Brien suspended him for the next game against the Miami Heat during the 2004-05 season because of a late night out.
Shaq then chimed in, saying it’s a myth that athletes need to go to sleep early to be able to perform at a high level.
“I never go to bed early,” he said while pointing out it didn’t mean he was partying all night.
“Ever since [I was] 18 years old, I’ve never went to bed before 12 o’clock.”
The revelation seemed to have caught Iverson by surprise as the ex-guard pointed out that many of the NBA games start at 7 pm local time.
“That’s what I’m saying, you can take a nap,” Shaq explained.
“That was my thing, stay out all night, right?
“Like just 4:00 [am]. Get up at 10:00 [am]. Go to shootaround, mess around, come back.
“Two turkey clubs, fries and a pineapple soda, and then I’ll sleep the four hours.”
While O’Neal’s nighttime routine might seem bizarre to some, he still managed to dominate his opponents on a daily basis, the four-time NBA champ pointed out.
“That’s what I need before the game,” Shaq said.
“Like if I get that three hours [of sleep] before the game, no matter what I did the night before, I’m killing somebody.
“They always try to make a big deal of him going out but…”
O’Neal added that when he actually tried to go to bed early, he wasn’t at his best the following game.
Shaq received the 2000 NBA MVP award in addition to three Finals MVP titles, 15 All-Star nods, and 14 All-NBA honors during his 19 seasons in the league.
News
Kris Jenner Unveils Plans for Hysterectomy After Tumor Discovery on Ovary (TR)
‘It started out as just getting some ovaries removed, and then today I got a phone call,’ Jenner says https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/gZV1836f Kris Jenner has shared another update on her…
WNBA Star Caitlin Clark Is Blowing Up All Over The Internet After Stunning Photo Emerges On Facebook That Has Everyone Totally Confused (lee)
Caitlin Clark (via Getty Images) The Indiana Fever played the Dallas Wings yesterday as Caitlin Clark and the Fever took a close 110 to 109 win. Clark had 35 points, eight…
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez caught together again: Kissing at hockey (NG)
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez caught together again: Kissing at hockey! The relationship between Selena Gomez (25) and Justin Bieber (23) is slowly beginning to resemble the…
Selena Gomez after breaking up with Justin Bieber: She almost got a boy haircut (NG)
Well this? Where is the end of the sexy singer Selena Gomez (25)? After breaking up with Justin Bieber, the former beauty radically changed her image and…
Justin Bieber wanted to improve his karma: He gave water and sweets to the homeless (NG)
Justin Bieber wanted to improve his karma: He gave water and sweets to the homeless That after breaking up with singer Selena Gomez (25), he would have…
Kendall Jenner Transforms into a Street Style Icon (TR)
Kendall Jenner was first thrust into the public eye 16 years ago, as the 11-year-old younger sister on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. But in 2014, the second-youngest member…
End of content
No more pages to load
Relative Articles
None found