Shaquille O’Neal relates Tom Brady’s divorce situation with his own experience: “That's the reason why he's not looking like Tom Brady right now"
Shaquille O'Neal knows a thing or two about what NFL legend Tom Brady is going through on and off the field. After winning a championship with the Miami Heat in the 2005-06 season, O'Neal and the mother of his four kids split. It was a difficult time for Big Diesel, who saw his numbers take a steep dropoff while he battled through off-court battles.
It's something fans have continued to point out about Brady, the consensus greatest quarterback in the history of American football. According to reports, Brady and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, were at odds about him coming out of retirement to return to the field. Ultimately, the couple filed for divorce in the leadup to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season.
Since then, Brady has struggled on the field, with the Bucs just 3-4. Before Tampa Bay's game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, O'Neal spoke about Brady's recent play:
"I wish him well, and hopefully they can reconcile and get back together. It's nothing to do with his age, because he's always been a vegan, he always ate clean, always did the right things. He's not a partier, he's not a drinker, but emotionally, I know he's going though to a lot.
"So, I'll go on record and say that's the reason why he's not looking like Tom Brady right now."
O'Neal's comments came on "The Big Podcast" on Spotify, where Brady's recent play was put under the microscope.
Below, you can see some of the lowlights from Brady's recent performances.
Why Shaquille O'Neal is able to relate to Tom Brady
As Shaquille O'Neal explained, he knows what it's like to see one's numbers dip when things aren't going right in their personal life. When he and his wife split, he recalled that the first thing to happen was his kids moved out. As a result, O'Neal would come home from practices and games to an empty mansion.
The way he describes things, all of the success isn't worth losing the people you care about. O'Neal has gone on record in the past as saying that his divorce is one of the three biggest regrets in his life. After he and his wife met in the late 1990s, the couple married in 2002. In addition to each having a child from before the relationship, the two had four kids together.
It's a similar position as Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen. The two met more than 15 years ago before marrying three years later. With their marriage seemingly coming to an inevitable end, many are hoping that the couple is able to patch things up. With his play on the field in desperate need of a pick-me-up, only time will tell how things shake out in "Tompa Bay."
Check out a clip of O'Neal discussing his three biggest regrets in life, including his failed marriage, in the video below.