Retired years ago, Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t lost his edge, especially when a rival steals his late-night crown. No wonder the 4x NBA champ takes the ‘run to backboard’ tradition on Inside the NBA quite seriously! Not much has changed when it comes to off-court ventures. Shaq took quite the offense when he was robbed by Michael Strahan for one of the top spots on a fan favorite show, and he is not happy.

O’Neal set the bar with 18 Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon visits, a record he once exclusively owned, only to watch it slip away when someone else eclipsed that record. During his recent appearance with Jimmy Fallon on the marquee show, Shaq expressed his displeasure and issued a playful warning to Michael Strahan. Why?

Strahan currently holds the No. 1 spot on the show for most appearances. Back in March this year, Strahan made his 21st appearance on the show.  “I’ve been on here 18 times, but I hear I’m not the number-one guy. Michael Strahan, I’m coming for you!” Shaq was indeed joking, but he certainly wants to be the No. 1 guy for the show.

Just a few days ago, Strahan was engulfed in a new controversy following a comment he made about Grammy-winning artist Taylor Swift. During his appearance on 4SE, Strahan said, “Taylor Swift is one of the best things to happen in the NFL.” The singer received massive attention in the NFL when she began dating Travis Kelce back in 2023. Needless to mention, the effect was mutual, with the NFL gaining more attention from Swift fans who became NFL fans which was praised by some.

However, the singer was also criticized for receiving too much coverage, hence the attention Strahan is getting for his comment on Swift. Now, he will have to deal with O’Neal too! The Los Angeles Lakers legend also went on to warn Andy Cohen! “And guess what? Andy Cohen, I’m gonna beat your a–, too. Michael’s been on 24… Andy’s been on 20, and I’ve been on 18,” he said.

Well, O’Neal might appeared on the show for 18 times but each time has been unforgettable. So was his last appearance a few months back!

Shaquille O’Neal brought humor and heart to The Tonight Show

Even during his last appearance on the show, O’Neal had a memorable time. He even joked about how long it took to be invited back. So, when he finally made his much-anticipated return, Shaq brought along a bag full of sweet treats, the Shaq-a-licious gummies from his collaboration with Hershey’s.

Later in the segment, O’Neal was taken on a trip down memory lane as Fallon showed some nostalgic photos. The first was of him playing against Michael Jordan. He recounted that like many other young basketball players of that time, he too had a poster of MJ on his wall.

The second captured him shattering yet another backboard to prove a point to Derrick Coleman to not to dunk on him. The third photo showed him giving Kobe Bryant a piggyback ride before Game 3 of the 2000 NBA Finals. Despite twisting his ankle, Bryant was determined to play, and Shaq wanted to help get him to the arena.

“Kobe was probably one of the toughest kids I’ve ever met. I knew he was gonna play…I didn’t want him wearing his ankle out…I was like, ‘Let me carry you to the arena, get your treatment, because I need you to do what you do tonight.’ So that was many of the things that, you know, we used to do,” he shared.

Among all Lakers duos, O’Neal has always chosen himself and Kobe as his favorite. No. 1 guy or not, his guest appearances on the show have always been one of the most memorable ones.