Shaquille O’Neal played in the NBA for 19 years. He was always on top of his game. Shaq was proud of how he played the game and believed in himself, but was always one of the most humble players, especially off the court. Shaq was someone who was never shy about making fun of himself and entertaining everyone around him. Other than that, his personal life was always in the limelight because of his fame.

After retirement, he has been one of the most influential sports personalities in the world and even now he is open about things in his life. Especially about his mistakes as a young man. Shaq is among the top 20 richest athletes in the world, but there was a time when he was naive about managing money. Similarly, in his marriage, he accepts he made grave mistakes.

Shaq himself has said over the years how he has learnt from his mistakes while growing in life. From spending a million dollars in one day to owning multiple businesses. From a person with a failed marriage to someone who has respect and gratitude towards women. Shaq has come a long way, learning from his regrets.

WATCH THIS STORY: Is Shaunie O’Neal married to someone else now?

Shaquille O’Neal admits his ‘terrible mistakes’ in his marriage with Shaunie O’Neal

In recent interviews, O’Neal has opened up about regrets he has about his personal life, particularly when it comes to the end of his marriage to Shaunie O’Neal, in which he has said he made “terrible mistakes.”

“When you’re older you reflect more and if somebody asks you a question, you have to be honest,” Shaquille O’Neal said. “I’m not going to sit up here and disrespect my former queen. I’ve got to be honest about what went wrong and how it went wrong. Sometimes you’ve got to take accountability … so if I did something that was my fault, I’m man enough to look the person in the eye and say it was my fault.”

Also read: Shaq on being a good parent.

Shaq also reflected on how he could have done things differently during his rift with Kobe Bryant, who in all honesty were excellent friends and it showed when they sort things out as well. Even after making mistakes, he has learnt from them in his life and he publicly accepts them. Shaq’s candidness and the way he expresses his actions or words is simply inspirational.