The NBA on TNT guys are always having fun on set at the expense of the current NBA players they cover or one another. Shaq has never been one to shy away from a good time, but he likes to do it in a relaxed setting, without the alcohol.
With O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on duty every night during the marathon of the playoffs, Shaq wanted somewhere he and his buddies could relax, post-show.
In a recent interview on “Inside The Green Room” with Danny Green, Barkley talked about his “frienemy” O’Neal.
“Shaq likes to smoke hookah and Shaq really doesn’t drink, so when we get off work at 1:30 in the morning, we always have to go have a couple drinks because we’re so wired when we leave the studio.
“Shaq’s always b*****in and complaining like, ‘You guys, I don’t want to drink, I don’t drink and I got nothing to do when I get off work, and blah blah blah blah blah.”
Shaq has always been one to do things unexpectedly, and in this instance, he surprised his co-workers by purchasing a hookah lounge.
"These chocolate chip cookies gooder than a mug." 😂@SHAQ couldn't help himself pic.twitter.com/8fZId78B88
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2022
Shaq Tells Crew He Solved His After Work Problem
“He’s like, I solved my problem,” Barkley said. ”We’re like, ‘We didn’t know you had a problem.’ I found something to do after the show. We’re like, ‘What’s that?’ He says ‘I bought a hookah bar.’
“We’re like what? He said, ‘Yeah, I bought a hookah bar so I have somewhere to go after the show.’ We’re like that’s how you solve a problem.”
A Hookah can be relaxing and tranquil, something that definitely helps when you’re wired. Smart move by “The Diesel.”
"He's gonna hurt kids in the stands blocking yo shot." 😂
Chuck had jokes for @SHAQ after picking Rudy Gobert to win one-on-one pic.twitter.com/2dBR6XWscT
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 10, 2022
O’Neal Is No Stranger To Purchasing Businesses
Shaq, the four-time NBA champion and Basketball Hall of Famer, has a most unique, extensive and diverse business portfolio, with 50 different companies under his holdings; over 100 car washes, 40 fitness centers, movie theaters, nightclubs and — get this — 155 Five Guys burger spots.
When asked how he built such a huge business portfolio, the former rapper and disc jockey said “make people laugh and they remember you.”
During a December 2021 interview with Earn Your Leisure, O’Neal let it be known that the following investments made him very, very rich.
“I don’t like to seem like I’m bragging, but I’m going to ask you a question. Who owns Marilyn Monroe? Who owns Elvis Presley? Who owns Forever 21? Who owns JC Penney? ME!”
With an estimated net worth of around $400 million, O’Neal can pretty much do as he pleases, and if that includes purchasing a hookah bar on a whim, then so be it, he can afford it in his sleep.
