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Avoiding $200,000,000 Loss to Ex-Wife Shaunie, Millionaire Shaquille O’Neal Signals Major Effect of “Chaos” During NBA Career

Published 06/17/2023, 1:50 PM EDT

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Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant players in the NBA right from the first day he took the floor. After having an illustrious LSU career, the Center was destined to create a long-lasting legacy. Therefore, it was natural for him to amass massive wealth. Apart from his NBA contracts, he also made money as a musician. His debut album Shaq Diesel sold a million copies. However, despite making so much money, there were times when he could have lost a sizeable chunk of the fortune.

As his relationship with his ex-wife Shaunie Henderson kept flailing, he almost lost a ton of wealth because of the divorce. A story posted by him sums up how he 

Shaquille O’Neal perseveres the turmoil

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Diesel and Henderson divorced in 2011 after Shaunie had filed for it in 2007. Henderson sought divorce because she alleged that the former Lakers Center had cheated on her. Later, Shaq confirmed it and admitted to cheating and held himself solely responsible for his wife filing for a divorce. During these years, Shaq was at the tail-end of his career and was team-hopping, hunting for a championship. 

As his performances dropped and his relationship soured, the situation became turbulent. Had the Big Aristotle not signed a prenup in Florida, he would have had to pay $200 million as a settlement to his ex-wife. Instead, he got rescued by the Florida law which upholds such prenup. The former Center has to pay $200,000 alimony to Shaunie for his four children.

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Therefore, he has seen his fair share of chaos. In his Instagram story, he posted a clip by motivational speaker William King Holis. In this clip, Holis states, ”You cannot be great if you cannot operate in chaos. That’s my life. Because if you can operate in chaos, the world becomes Disneyland. Problems become scratches. I can lose my car, somebody can blow it up. I’m gonna have sushi with my wife and think about the solution, not the problem.”

Shaq’s post-NBA career has been highly successful

After avoiding such an enormous loss, the business executive has earned his laurels. He has stakes in big brands like Forever 21 and is an active investor. Despite some failures on that end, he has mainly found success. His presence on the Inside the NBA show has gotten him further popularity. His net worth is around $400 million, but had he taken the $200 million back in 2011, things would have been in disarray. 

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The Hall-of-Famer has transitioned into his post-playing career smoothly. During his playing days, his feud with Kobe Bryant was well-documented.

READ More: Shaquille O’Neal’s 20-Year-Old Basketball Sensation Son Celebrates Millionaire Elder Brother on His Special Day

Because of that, he missed out on a big contract with the Lakers too, and felt like an outcast. However, after he retired, things mellowed down between the two. 

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All of this has happened because of the NBA legend’s ability to get through tough times and overcome chaos.

Watch This Story: 13 Years After Divorce, Shaquille O’Neal Faces Strong Rumor About His Romantic Escapades

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Written by:

Shubham Singh

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Shubham is an NBA Writer at Essentially Sports. He became a fan of the NBA in late 2000s and his interest skyrocketed after Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks upset the Miami Heat in Six Games during 2011 NBA Finals. He loves looking into playing styles of different players and teams while also trying to analyse what circumstances shape a typical NBA game.
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Edited by:

Debmallya Chakraborty