Shaquille O’Neal Destroys Certain Athletes Using Mental Health as an “Excuse”: “I’m Tired of These Rich Millionaires, Everytime Something Goes Crazy, Talk About Mental Health”

Published 01/13/2022, 1:30 PM EST

Apart from being one of the greatest ever to play the sport, Shaquille O’Neal is also a very successful businessman and a popular media personality. And when it comes to voicing his opinion, the NBA Legend Shaq rarely hesitates.

People in the limelight often talk diplomatically on certain subjects, but that’s not the case with Shaq. Despite all the attention he gets, he never shies away from speaking his mind.

On his podcast named The Big Podcast with Shaq, he talks about various topics regarding the NBA and the world in general. In the latest episode, he picked up on the topic of mental health. He had a lot to say regarding the issue and also bashed certain athletes for using it as an excuse.

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Shaquille O’Neal talks about mental health

While talking on his podcast, the hosts touched upon the topic of the NFL having a psychological test. “I am tired of people using that when it is not the case,” Shaq said.

He added, “I need to see what it is before I speak on mental health. I know some people that really really need help. I’m tired of these rich millionaires, every time something goes crazy, talk about mental health problems. You know what, I’m thinking of getting a degree on this subject.”

Shaq, being his usual self, completely went off on the topic and held nothing back. He also gave us a hint regarding his future. We might see Shaquille O’Neal pursuing a degree in the subject of psychology.

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How is the mental health of NBA players?

Although the life of an NBA player might seem glittering, it brings along with itself a host of problems. One of them is mental health.

Players play week in and week out and face criticisms of all kinds. Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets shared his thoughts regarding the topic.

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Gordon said while talking to Sports Illustrated, “Although we have special gifts and talents that make us seem more than human, at the end of the day we’re just people.” He added, “With the same struggles and the same sufferings, the same day-to-day anxieties, and insecurities that the rest of the world is going through.”

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Aaron Gordon’s words do speak a lot about the situation with athletes. Although they might seem different, they share the same feelings and problems as any normal person at the end of the day.

Do you agree with what Shaquille O’Neal had to say about mental health? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Abhinava is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication. Abhinava has been following NBA for the past 6 years and is a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry.

Shaquille O’Neal Destroys Certain Athletes Using Mental Health as an “Excuse”: “I’m Tired of These Rich Millionaires, Everytime Something Goes Crazy, Talk About Mental Health”

Shaquille O’Neal talks about mental health

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