Shaquille O'Neal once hired a chef from Hyatt to become his personal chef and warm his daughter Taahirah's baby milk
Shaquille O'Neal had a legendary career on the court, winning everything and retiring as one of the best NBA players of all time.
Off the court, the LA Lakers legend didn't pay much attention to his nutrition and health. This was one of the reasons for not being even more dominant during his playing days, as fellow NBA legend, the late Kobe Bryant, once said.
Since retiring in 2011, however, the four-time NBA champion has taken his health very seriously, not only by working on his body but investing in health and nutrition companies. In 2021, he became the brand ambassador for a leading sports nutrition company called Novex Biotech.
O'Neal is also known for his appetite. He has his own personal chef, in addition to two executive chefs.
Back in the day, when he was playing for the Orlando Magic, he once hired a chef from a top restaurant to take care of his diet. Aside from becoming Shaquille O'Neal's personal chef, he also helped with his daughter's milk.
Shaq's then-personal chef was Thomas Gosney, who worked at the Hyatt in Orlando as one of their top chefs before Shaq hired him. For 15 years, Gosney was Shaq’s personal chef.
Shaq revealed in his book, "Shaq Talks Back:"
“He’ll cook anything, but usually I have him stick to the basics. I eat the same thing every day.”
Shaquille O'Neal hired Thomas away from the famous Orlano hotel at twice his salary because of the exquisite way he made Shaq's club sandwich one day.
Shaq’s daily menu, as described in his book, extensively displayed Gosney’s culinary prowess. Gosney cooked anything, from a unique McMuffin sausage for Shaq’s breakfast to a turkey club and fries for lunch. The chef knew how to cater to the NBA stars’ needs with precision and creativity.
Thomas also helped Shaq with his daughter Taahirah, who was nine months old when the NBA legend made Thomas his personal chef. Shaq was always there for his young daughter and his personal chef helped him by warming his daughter's baby milk.
Thomas no longer works for Shaquille O'Neal, as the Hall of Famer has hired three chefs, namely Alex Conant, his longtime personal chef, Matt Silverman and Matt Piekarski.
Shaquille O'Neal's family and NBA achievements
Aside from his sisters and brother, Shaquille O'Neal has his own large family with six kids. Shaq had his first child, Taahirah O’Neal, with ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh. Taahirah was born shortly after they broke up.
He also had four children during his relationship and subsequent marriage to Shaunie O’Neal: Shareef, Amirah, Sharif and Me’arah. In addition to that, he helped raise Shaunie’s son from a previous relationship, Myles B. O’Neal. He also looks after his nieces and nephews.
On the court, his career includes several highlights from his time with the Orlando Magic to the three straight titles with the LA Lakers (2000-2002) and his time with the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
O'Neal claimed the 2006 NBA championship with Miami, playing alongside Dwyane Wade.