Dr O’Neal’s fan advice got a bit NSFW this week. That’s to be expected with Marlon Wayans in the house. Shaquille O’Neal had his next favorite Wayans sibling on The Big Podcast for the laughs. But he also takes a moment every week to play agony aunt. This time, a fan had some marital issues and hoped Shaq had advice on how to overcome them. Marlon, who recently ventured into a new business, chimed in. But anyone who knows O’Neal, like his TNT colleagues Adam Lefkoe and Charles Barkley, knows the big man doesn’t necessarily agree.

In June, Wayans announced he is an investor in the European businessman, Maximillian White’s m*rijuana company. So he inserted a mention about it when O’Neal was dishing some advice to his fan. Lefkoe stated, “Shaq has never had that.”

Wayans offered to hook him up through his partnership with White. But Shaq refused because he has a different kind of addiction. “I’m a hookah man,” he said repeatedly and shut down Wayan’s repeated offers. “I’m a role model. I’m a hookah man.”

Charles “I’m Not a Role Model” Barkley knows Shaq’s habits as well as everyone at TNT. O’Neal doesn’t drink outside the privacy of his home and doesn’t smoke anything else. It’s common for the cast and crew of Inside the NBA to go to the local watering hole after work every week, but Shaq doesn’t join them.

After complaining, “‘You guys are a******s. I got nothin’ to do after the show,” to Chuck & Co. about the FOMO, O’Neal one day declared he found the perfect after-work fix. “I solved my problem. I bought a hookah bar.”

So Shaq can comfortably decline the offer via Wayans’ new business. He’s got one of his own.

Shaq is dedicated to his addiction

O’Neal reportedly had a personal hookah lounge in the TNT studio before he bought the bar in 2022 and the jokes picked up. Every time Shaq’s MIA on Inside the NBA, Chuck, Kenny, and Ernie joke he’s loitering at his hookah bar.

Barkley spoke about his best friend’s addiction when he was on Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction earlier this year. The entire Turner crew vouched for Shaq’s addiction to David Letterman and Barkley even said, “That lets you know he got too much money,” about his impromptu purchase.

When Letterman asked if he’s addicted, Shaq admitted he was but he could “stop anytime.” He even offered Letterman the ‘Shaq Special’ at his bar for no charge. The freebie nearly tempted the talk show legend.

However, an identical offer from Marlon Wayans didn’t change Shaq. Marlon gave in and offered, “I’ll have hookah with you.” But Shaq didn’t reply to the invite. In fact, he got ready to shoo him off with a closing statement. Yeah, he’s not giving Marlon the chance to change his mind again.