“Those were the best days of my life … I lost that by being stupid, that killed me” – Shaquille O'Neal advises NBA personnel to stay away from controversies, says losing family over disputes is "not worth it"
Last week, news broke of a cheating scandal in the NBA. Shaquille O'Neal, speaking from experience, has advised league personnel to steer clear of these controversies to avoid the risk of losing their families. Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is the guilty party this time. Reports revealed that he was involved in an intimate relationship with one of the Celtics staff members.
The organization has stated that it is against its rules to fraternize in the workplace and has suspended the second-year coach for one year. Shaq declined to comment on the cheating allegations because he believes he does not have the moral standing to do so. He stated that he was a serial cheat in his younger years, which cost him his family.
However, on "The Big Podcast," the four-time NBA champ said it was not worth it. He said family time was the happiest of his life and hoped others would not suffer the same fate he endured.
(From 29:10)
"It is not worth it," O'Neal said. "Let me tell you why. The happiest days of my life were coming home and hearing six different people say, 'Daddy, daddy.' Happiest days of my life.
"Forget the money, forget the cars, even forget the championships, especially when they were little and two and three and didn't really care that I missed ten to fifteen free throws. They waited for me after the games, 'Daddy can we go to Universal?' Those were the best days of my life.
"When I lost those, I'm not going to use the D word, because I know a lot of people are suffering with that, but I was all the way down. And sometimes I'm still all the way down, especially when I was in my house in Orlando which is seventy thousand square feet, in there by myself, nobody.
"Like, I built the house for the kids. Gym, game room, pool house, this and that, guest house for mom and all that. When I lost that by being stupid, it killed me. To answer your question, no, it's not worth it."
Can the Boston Celtics win the 2023 NBA title without Ime Udoka?
Udoka's suspension means the Celtics will have to replace their coach. It has been reported that assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will step in as interim coach for the period.
The Boston Celtics have suspended head coach Ime Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season.
With Udoka, the Celtics came close to winning their 18th title. The first-year coach led the team to the 2022 NBA Finals after multiple victories in the Eastern Conference.
Heading into the 2022-23 NBA season, the Celtics were one of the favorites to win the title. But with Udoka unavailable, the road to the Finals might be more challenging.
Nonetheless, the Celtics have an incredible roster that can perform on both ends of the floor. Even without Udoka, they could thrive with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the charge.