Shaquille O’Neal is loved all over the world for his personality. After all, who doesn’t love Shaq’s jokes and his light-hearted persona? The Big Diesel gets serious from time to time and even has his moments of anger, but for the most part, Shaq is as loveable as they come. His sense of humor is top notch, and the big man enjoys having fun and ensuring those around him are also having a good time.
But like anyone else, O’Neal is not perfect. There are times when he says something or does something that is not received well. And in his playing days, some pranks would go too far, including the time he did something terrible to a teammate’s shoes. And every once in a while, Shaq will get caught embellishing something, exaggerating something in his life for the sake of a story.
Shaquille O’Neal Was Asked About Saying His Bike Cost $100K More Than It Did, And He Had A Lovely Answer Ready
One of the times Shaq was caught in a lie, and it happened on live television, many expected him to fumble. On Graham Bensinger’s show, famous custom bike producer Jesse James asked O’Neal why he lied about the price of a bike he had bought from James. And Shaq, instead of feeling cornered, managed to turn it around in a wholesome answer that shows why people love him so much.
Jesse James: “My question for Shaq attack is: Everybody knows I built you a bike for $55,000. But how come when you picked it up, you went to Century Club in LA and paid $155,000 for it?”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Well Jesse, the answer is, I wanted to make you look good. I only paid 50. But if I tell them I paid 100, when they come ask for the same bike, you tell them 100. Your profit is 100. I was looking out for you, not for me. I want you to look good, Jesse, you know I love you.”
Now, there’s no way to tell exactly why O’Neal lied whenever this happened, but it’s a great explanation by Shaq for sure. He’s not wrong in that he was increasing the profit for James when he made the claim. And answers like this also show just how savvy the big man is in front of a camera, and nothing seems to faze him.
