Shaquille O’Neal is a very famous person not only in the NBA world but in pop culture. The Big Diesel has made a name that has even transcended the court, making him one of the most influential players of all time.
Great and popular as he was, there are certain circles where Shaq can’t get so easily. He once tried to gift former POTUS Barack Obama a couple of shoes, but couldn’t meet him at first. Later, he was in Washington, D.C., and tried to link up with Obama, but instead of Shaq using his ‘powers,’ it was Obama who reached out to him.
O’Neal was shocked when he received a call from the president, and even asked him why he contacted him. Obama’s response was epic, telling Shaq that he was the president and can make things happen.
“I was in the area. I was there. What happened was I was there but I didn’t have clearance. And I didn’t want to use my powers. Because I wanted to hand-deliver him the shoe. I met him but I didn’t meet him. One time I was in DC and I tried to flex my powers. Went to the gate. ‘Hey, tell Obama Shaq is here. I showed them my police badge. They said ‘Shaq we love you’ but all this. So as I’m walking away, I get a phone call from a strange number. I say ‘hello’? It’s the president. I said ‘Mr. Obama, how’d you get my number?’. He said ‘Come on, Shaq, I’m the President’.”
“… I finally met him. He invited me to this thing he did at the White House. But I was 0-2 in just trying to use my powers to meet him.”
It’s crazy how the world works sometimes, and Shaq learned that with Mr. Obama. He finally gifted him the shoes and things were just fine for them, marking another milestone in O’Neal’s incredible life.
