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Shaquille O'Neal reveals 3 biggest what-if regrets of his life: "It could be worse"

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is widely known for his days as a basketball star. However, O'Neal's life hasn't always been smooth sailing, as he's experienced downfalls despite being successful in his professional life. In the latest episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq," he shared the three biggest regrets of his life.

As a basketball icon, O'Neal achieved great feats to solidify his Hall of Fame career. He won four titles and an MVP award, was named an All-Star multiple times and changed the way the sport is played. Even with his resume, he still has regrets.

Shaq's personal life has been revealed to the public on more than one occasion. The 15-time All-Star was known to live a luxurious lifestyle, especially during his playing days. He also likes to experience Hollywood life, appearing in multiple advertisements and movies.

Still, it won't change the fact that the former LA Lakers star has his regrets. Shaq started to talk about his regrets at the 9:30 mark.

"I never complain," Shaq said. "My motto is, 'It could be worse.'
"There's three what-ifs that will never go away. What if I called my sister two minutes before she passed away and said, 'I love you'? What if I could've dropped my ego and go, 'Kobe, what you doing, my boy?' And what if I did the right thing when I was supposed to do the right thing as a married man?"

Shaq's loss of a sibling and a former teammate that helped define his career hasn't been easy for him. Additionally, his marriage with Shaunie Nelson ended in bad taste, as the two divorced in 2011.

Also read: In Photos: Shaquille O'Neal takes his exclusive $5,500 custom 'Shaq-sized cart' on streets for ride


How have Shaquille O'Neal's regrets affected his life?

Shaquille O'Neal tends to put on a smile every time he appears on television for TNT. Behind the smile, however, O'Neal has experienced unfortunate events.

In 2019, his sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, died due to a longtime battle with cancer at only 40 years old. According to the NBA legend, he regrets not calling his sister, as he was confident that Harrison-Jex would beat the disease.

Similarly, O'Neal regrets not calling Kobe Bryant after his retirement. In 2020, Bryant died in a helicopter crash with his daughter, Gigi. Bryant teamed up with the Hall of Fame center to win three titles with the Lakers.

Regarding his marriage with Shaunie, O'Neal said in the past that he cheated on her. He also said that he was being greedy during their time together and blamed himself for their separation.

Also read: Shaquille O'Neal’s comical retort to being left off Candace Parker's GOAT list: "Oh, so Shaq can't run?”

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