Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most accomplished athletes, ever. So, jealousy is not something one would associate with the Big Aristotle. However, the man himself has claimed to be envious of someone in the past. During a recent conversation, Shaq talked about his good friend, David Beckham, and unveiled the reason behind his jealousy that lasted several years.

The two go way back as they have known each other since the former soccer star’s days in LA. That was also when the 4x NBA champion decided to prank the English icon.

Shaquille O’Neal’s David Beckham story had the soccer icon’s wife in stitches

Imagine being threatened by a 7’1 giant who weighs around 350 lbs. While most of us, hopefully, will never experience it, Beckham unfortunately has. During his appearance on the James Corden show five years ago, alongside Victoria Beckham, Shaq revealed a crazy encounter he had.

The Big Man said that once, he was walking in Beverley Hills and found a wallet on the ground. Shaq joked that usually when he finds a wallet, he just takes out all the money and throws the wallet away. This time, however, it was different, because it was Beckham’s wallet.

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Known for being a fun-loving character, Shaq decided to give the soccer legend a hard time before giving it back to him. He recalled calling Beckham in an attempt to be intimidating. Shaq said, “I have your wallet. It’s gonna cost you a million dollars to get it back.” However, Beckham realized it was Shaq on the other side and said “Shaq stop playing.” Shaq revealed that after being caught, he said that he found his wallet on the ground and later Beckham picked it up from him.

Victoria was on the show with Shaq and she said that her husband losing his wallet is a very regular thing in his life. She said that hoping to avoid this from happening again, she bought him a wallet that was attached to a chain. However, the 48-year-old ended up losing the wallet again, but comically still had the chain hooked to him. Nevertheless, O’Neal had been envious of the soccer legend for years.

David Beckham’s riches made Shaquille O’Neal envious

While everyone who has been around the Los Angeles Lakers legend seems in awe of him, it is rare that something sweeps him off his feet. This doesn’t mean that Shaq isn’t impressed with anything.  This was around the time when he had just started off in the NBA and was winning championships. Around the same time, David Beckham was one of the most popular soccer stars in the world.

As an exciting young talent, Becks was very popular across the globe and was easily converting his fame into money. Shaq first noticed Beckham through the ‘highest-paid athletes’ list and was pissed that he was consistently being beaten by a man named David Beckham. During a recent conversation with People, Shaq said “I was always jealous of him.”

Read More: Shaquille O’Neal Once Revealed the Bizarre Story About David Beckham: “I Have Your Wallet. And It’s Going to Cost You $1 Million Getting It Back”

Soon, the Big Man would meet the top spot holder on the ‘highest-paid athletes’ list and realize that “he was a cool guy.” This turned his jealousy into admiration and now they’re great friends. What are your thoughts on Shaq’s prank? Let us know in the comments below.