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“I Got Into Trouble for Being the Hulk”: Shaquille O’Neal Opened up About the Time He Took His Marvel Fandom Too Far

Published 01/19/2022, 9:33 AM EST

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Regardless of whether he is on or off the court, Shaquille O’Neal has always been extremely passionate. During his stint in the NBA and after retirement, he has shown strong desires to succeed.

However, did you know that the Lakers legend is in fact a massive superhero fan? Subsequently, the 49-year-old even got into trouble on one occasion for showcasing his fandom in an overt manner.

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A 15-time NBA All-star, Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most decorated athletes in the game’s rich history. He has won 4 championships during his two-decade-long career, and several other accolades.

Imagine being one of the most feared centers in the league, and setting the benchmark for all powerhouses; that was Shaq for you. Most recently, he has expressed his love for the in-form Stephen Curry and the Warriors. However, does it trump his love for Iron Man, Hulk, and so on?

Shaquille O’Neal revealed how his fanboy moment over Hulk got him into trouble

Looking at the size of O’Neal, standing face-to-face with the big man is no easy feat. Interestingly, Shaq could quite easily pass the test of being a superhero. Strong, committed, and confident; the 3-time All-star MVP has it all. As a matter of fact, he once revealed that he even attempted to play the role of Marvel superhero Hulk, which ended in destruction.

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Appearing on the Jordan Harbinger Show, Shaquille told the host about a peculiar incident. At first, he expressed his love for Superman, before jumping to the Hulk. “Hulk was another one [of my favorite superheroes,” revealed the former Laker.

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“I got in trouble for being the Hulk one time. We saw a car that we thought was abandoned, but it wasn’t. It was just stolen. So me and my friend, I played Hulk and I ripped out the mirrors, I ripped off the doors, I ripped off everything. I got in really big trouble for that one.”

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Clearly, Shaq trying to impersonate Hulk doesn’t have a happy ending. Yet, it was a hilarious tale from the past. What superhero do you envision Shaq to be? Comment below.

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Written by:

Sankalp Harikrishnan

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Sankalp Harikrishnan is an NBA and Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. He aspires to pursue Sports Journalism and has represented his institution in cricket, badminton, soccer and table tennis. Sankalp idolises Roger Federer and Stephen Curry, and has an inherent love for statistics.
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