Shaquille O'Neal challenges comedian Desi Banks to all-out Hellcat race on his podcast
Shaquille O'Neal, the NBA legend and media personality, might not be known for racing, as the closest he usually gets is racing Kenny “The Jet” Smith to the board during "Inside the NBA."
However, in a recent episode of his “The Big Podcast,” the Hall-of-Fame big man challenged comedian Desi Banks to a real car race.
During the podcast, Shaquille O'Neal and Banks engaged in a lighthearted exchange, leading O'Neal to challenge him to a race. Shaq upped the stakes by saying the loser would have to give up his Hellcat.
“If I ever see your Hellcat on 85, 75, 285, 675, 155—title for title,” O’Neal said.
As they agreed on the terms, Shaq revealed that his Hellcat could produce 1,400 horsepower, while Desi Banks mentioned his could only reach 1,200.
Shaquille O’Neal also revealed that he acquired the Hellcat he bet because he was inspired by Desi Banks' own vehicle.
Last year, Shaquille O'Neal added a modified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody to his car collection. The car, the third Charger Forbes Performance built for Shaq in 2023 alone, features a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, unleashing an impressive 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque in its Redeye Widebody configuration.
As of 2023, Shaq's car collection has grown to include more than 30 cars.
Shaquille O'Neal has blunt take on the New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have had an impactful offseason that led to their projected win total being set at 53.5 games. Last season, they finished with a 50-32 record, the second-best in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks have been busy, trading for Mikal Bridges and securing long-term deals for OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson.
However, Shaquille O'Neal isn’t convinced by the hype.
"New York is a place that's built on hype, that controls the hype, they can hype everybody else up. They haven't won s**t," O'Neal said. "(Jalen Brunson) can play, I was wrong about him, he's impressive. But they're nowhere close to winning a championship."
"They're going to win some games and do this, but I'm more impressed with, at the end of your career, how many championships you've won."
In the trade for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks sent Bojan Bogdanovic, unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031, a protected 2025 Milwaukee first-round pick, a 2028 unprotected pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick. The Nets also included a second-round pick in the deal.
Meanwhile, OG Anunoby's extension is for five years, $212.5 million, and Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension, leaving $113 million on the table to help provide the Knicks with financial stability moving forward.
The Knicks also secured a long-term extension for coach Tom Thibodeau.