“I tell people is if you’re ever mad at me, just bite my head off,” Shaquille O’Neal once joked about his gummies. But when it comes to his $1 million challenge involving Shaq-a-licious gummies, things get serious—especially for Alonzo Mourning. A man who spearheads a healthy lifestyle after overcoming a life-threatening kidney disease, Mourning finds himself in a sticky situation. Would he compromise his principles for a good cause, or would Shaq’s sugary bet be too much to swallow?

During The Big Podcast, Shaq and his co-host Adam Lefkoe raised the stakes. They dared Hall of Famer Mourning to eat one gummy—for a million dollars. Mourning’s response? A mix of hesitation and resolve. “I don’t need the million number,” he admitted. “But if you donate it to my foundation, then yes. You donate $1 million, I’ll eat one of those gummies.” However, Mourning wasn’t about to dive in without a game plan.

He laid out a detox strategy to counter the gummy’s impact. “I’ll detox for a full day and get it out… sauna, steam room, fresh juices—carrot, beet, celery juices. Salads. Citrus magnesium [for drink],” he shared confidently on the podcast. For a man who underwent a kidney transplant almost 20 years ago in 2003, this approach is more than bold—it’s personal.

Mourning’s journey with health challenges began over two decades ago when he was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a kidney condition uncovered during routine Olympic medical tests. “I had some nephritis—swelling in my legs—after traveling back and forth [to Sydney],” Mourning explained. The discovery marked a turning point, but his determination to stay strong never wavered.

Thankfully, a timely kidney donation from his second cousin saved his life. “The beauty of it is I had a living related donor,” Mourning shared. But this wasn’t his only battle. In 2002, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, yet early detection gave him another chance. Now thriving on a plant-based diet and mindful of his health, Mourning also nudges Shaq to embrace some of his healthy habits.

Why Shaquille O’Neal opened “Shaq-a-Licious”

Shaquille O’Neal’s love for candy goes way back to his childhood on an Army base in Germany. Every week, little Shaq would save up and hit the local candy shop, grabbing as many treats as he could afford. “I used to live in Germany and we used to eat gummy bears—the cherry ones, the coke ones, the worms,” he reminisced in an interview with Sports Illustrated. It’s no surprise that his sweet tooth stuck with him through the years, eventually inspiring one of his quirkiest business ventures yet.

Speaking of quirky, Shaq brought his signature humor to his newest creation—Shaq-a-licious XL Gummies. They’re oversized gummy candies shaped like his face. “The funny thing I tell people is if you’re ever mad at me, just bite my head off,” he joked. What started as a random idea turned into a partnership with Hershey, who helped bring his vision to life. “I was messing around one day and I was wondering if we could do some Shaq face gummies… and here it is,” he said.

But Shaq isn’t just about the sweets—he’s also serious about his health. After gaining weight, he got blood work done and discovered low iron and other issues tied to poor eating habits. It was a wake-up call for the basketball legend.

Interestingly, one major push for Shaq to slim down came from his not-so-friendly competition with Charles Barkley. “I had that Charles Barkley retirement body,” he joked on a podcast. “I didn’t want my stomach to be over the belt anymore.”