"That was comedy gold" - Fans in splits after Shaquille O'Neal auditions for "Beverly Hills Cop"
Los Angeles Lakers great Shaquille O'Neal has always been known for his larger-than-life personality, both on and off the court. This week, the NBA legend proved he has a knack for comedy as well. Netflix dropped a hilarious mock audition tape featuring Shaq vying for the role of Axel Foley in the upcoming "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F."
The internet erupted as Shaq, sporting a replica of Eddie Murphy's iconic Detroit Lions jacket, channeled his inner Axel Foley. The comedic bit, titled "Shaq Auditions for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F," features the 7'1" giant, Shaquille O'Neal.
Fans were quick to react to Shaquille O'Neal's video:
"That was comedy gold" said @danielheineman5118.
"Shaq is a national treasure that needs to be protected at all costs" wrote @saltstorm
The clip made the rounds on X and Instagram, where fans reacted in a similar fashion. Viewers loved Shaq taking playful jabs at his acting past ("I've come a long way since Kazaam"). It even included a fun moment of banter with the casting director, wherein Shaq jokingly drew a blank on the name of the character.
"Kazaam is literally one of my Altima favorite movies @SHAQ no need to hate it’s great!"
"Too funny," said another fan.
"I am a big fan of shaq who isnt ???," wrote @siddarth.
Whether this is a hilarious plea to land a role in the film or just Shaq being his usual playful self, it's clear that "Diesel" can still bring the house down, even if it's not on the basketball court.
Shaquille O'Neal discusses joining Ice Cube's Big 3 league
On the latest episode of "The Big Podcast," NBA legend and TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal revealed that he had been training to play in Ice Cube's Big 3 professional basketball league. O'Neal invited the popular rapper and entrepreneur on the latest episode of his podcast, where they discussed a range of topics, including O'Neal's desire to join the league.
He mentioned that Ice Cube's invitation motivated him to start training in the gym. According to Shaq, he owes Cube an apology for not following up on the invitation, saying:
“I owe you an apology. Mario Chalmers was on the podcast and I told him I wanted to join the Big 3. It kind of went viral and I actually heard what you said. Believe it or not, I tried to get in the gym and I ain't got it no more, dog. I'm gone. I've been eating right and running and jumping. I tried to play in the LA Fitness. I looked like the worst big man ever, dog.”
Now 52, Shaq has had some struggles with his weight and underwent hip replacement surgery in March of last year. Even with all of his efforts, he found he could no longer play at the pro level anymore.