Now, we know why Shaquille O’Neal loves music. The Los Angeles Lakers legend not only enjoys being a rapper and DJ but he also uses his skills efficiently. While he may have been divorced for over a decade now, there was a time when the 4x NBA champion had a great romantic relationship with his ex-wife, Shaunie Henderson. In her best-selling memoir, Shaunie recalled how the Lakers legend sang songs and told many jokes to pursue her romantically. Despite the initial rejection, O’Neal kept at his efforts to woo her by singing songs.

During the early days of their relationship, she enjoyed their wholesome conversations and agreed to exchange contact numbers. Until the day Shaunie agreed to meet him again, O’Neal kept sending her songs and sweet messages to impress her. 

”Finally, we found a time to meet, and in between he sent me songs, texting me supersweet and charming stuff…A few days later, he asked me for another date, leaving me messages where he sang songs to me about liking me. It was hard not to fall for his charm,” Henderson wrote in her book, Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms.

As a non-fan of basketball and aware of the NBA players’ infamous reputation, Henderson refused when O’Neal asked her to have dinner with him. “He kept me laughing the entire time, and eventually he asked me to dinner. At first, I said no. I knew enough about NBA players to know their reputation was that they weren’t just players but “players,” with a girl in every city, and I wanted no part of that,” Shaunie revealed.

Henderson detailed that she had to refuse O’Neal’s invitation for lunch due to her work. She had a full-time job as a film marketer and couldn’t take some time out for lunch with Shaq. However, they eventually worked it out.

Shaunie Henderson recalled sweet memory with ex-husband Shaquille O’Neal

For their first date, the two went to Houston’s Century City Mall. Shaunie recalled how the Lakers star was very “charismatic” and “funny” during their date. Even though she expressed confusion about loving her ex-husband, in the same book, Henderson detailed their first date, noting how it was hard not to fall for the charming man and that she had a good time. 

In her book, the Basketball Wives star shared that her father was very strict about her dating life. While she was working, she met the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. She was employed at the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace for Fox.

She recalled that she was well aware of the special guests list, and O’Neal’s name wasn’t on it. However, O’Neal’s unannounced arrival at the premiere didn’t bother the people around him, and he was allowed into the theater. During the entire event, O’Neal spent time in the lobby trying to talk to her.

The charm factor is common in all Lakers players and Henderson got the experience when she met the Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal for the first time.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.