Shaquille O'Neal confesses to being ashamed of his poor free throw shooting: “No excuses, suck it up…Confession Time, I used to be scared shitless”
Shaquille O'Neal has always had an infectious personality. During his playing days, he used to sprint through the locker room naked and hug teammates. O'Neal joined "Inside the NBA" on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley after his retirement in 2011.
Oftentimes, O'Neal gets teased by his co-hosts for his behavior. He's learned how to laugh at himself. But that wasn't always the case.
As it turns out, O'Neal was always self-conscious about his poor free throw shooting. He relates to players that struggle with the mental aspect of basketball. Ben Simmons is one player that comes to mind.
Simmons has struggled since returning to basketball. He missed the entire 2021-22 season due to ongoing back pain and mental health struggles. Shaq can relate to Simmons:
"I understand exactly what Ben's going through. You don't think after missing 10 free throws in a row. I'm nervous about going to the line. Confession Time, I used to be scared sh*tless. I was like, okay, just make one. ... When I was in LA, it was always, come on diesel. On the road, Sacramento, ahhhh, kids laughing."
Shaq made these comments on a recent episode of "The Big Podcast" on Spotify. He's never been shy about his on-court struggles. O'Neal famously made a cameo in 'Scary Movie 4' to poke fun at his own free throw shooting abilities.
Ben Simmons & Shaquille O'Neal's ongoing back & forth in the media
Ben Simmons & Shaquille O'Neal have gone back & forth in the media. O'Neal publicly criticized Simmons for his performance during the Philadelphia 76ers' playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. He called him out after his infamous blunder in the final minutes of Game 7.
Simmons fired back at him during an appearance on "The Old Man and the Three" podcast last month. He accused O'Neal of being a hater. He called out O'Neal for not having his back despite both of them being "LSU brothers."
“He always wants to say we're LSU Brothers, this And that. If you’re my LSU brother, you would have reached out by now.”
Simmons also DM'ed Shaquille O'Neal. He questioned why the NBA Hall of Famer was talking badly about him without hearing his side of the story. 'Big Diesel' said he made the comments prior to learning about Simmons' mental health problems.
It remains to be seen whether Shaquille O'Neal's comments about his mental health struggles will help facilitate a conversation with Simmons. Only time will tell.
For now, Simmons is focused on ending his early-season slump. He has fouled out in two of the Nets' first four games.