‘Kazaam’, ‘The Lego Movie’, Shaquille O’Neal has been a part of several films. One thing most of the films have in common? Comedy. The fun-loving giant has an effortless sense of humor. Despite being the gentlest of giants, he says that he loves “mean” comedy. As you might already know, he enjoys playing hilarious pranks on his friends. And there are plenty of stories to prove it. The Big Aristotle just shared another lesser known from his younger days where he got in trouble for his favorite comedy icon.

Naming some of his favorite comedians, O’Neal recalled a hilarious little disaster involving him and his stepfather. He remembered that Phillip Arthur Harrison, a U.S. Army sergeant, owned a record of famed comedian and actor Richard Pryor. And young Shaq used to sneak off to listen to it. He was apparently a huge fan. One day, though, he accidentally ended up ruining the record.

In a rush, he scratched it. Shaq recalled the moment, saying, “One time for scratching up my father’s Richard Pryor record but I was laughing so hard.”

He went on to explain, “So one day I snuck the record and I was laughing and I wasn’t paying attention to the time and like he came in and I tried to like move it and slip it in the thing and I scratched the whole thing up that was but that Richard Pryor,” O’Neal shared.

Even as a kid, Shaq’s love for comedy ran deep—even if it cost him one of his dad’s prized records.

This moment surfaced when TNT host Adam Lefkoe pushed Shaq to drop his top five comedians—and The Big Diesel didn’t disappoint.

Shaq raved about Corey Holcomb, naming him first before moving on to the legendary Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. Holcomb, of course, has some history with Shaq’s world, having performed at the All-Star Comedy Jam—a show Shaq himself helped bring to life.

The Lakers legend has been indirectly involved in comedy for years, from producing shows to linking up with some of the biggest names in the industry.

He’s quite good at it himself. But then why has he never performed in front of a crowd? Well, because he’s scared of it.

Why is Shaquille O’Neal scared of comedy? 

Apart from hooping, the 4x NBA champion has taken on several roles throughout his career. He became a reserve officer in 2005, and before that, he explored music and now has a flourishing DJ career. And the list could go on. So why hasn’t he tried stand-up comedy, where he might actually excel?

Comparing it to his basketball career, Shaq made a surprising admission—he’s actually terrified of comedy. “Actually, no. Comedy kind of scares me,” he confessed on The Dear Father podcast.

On the court, he always had a team to fall back on if things weren’t going his way. But on a stand-up stage? It’s just you and the mic.

Shaq knows that in comedy, if the first few jokes flop, the whole show can crumble—and for someone used to dominating the paint, that kind of pressure is a whole different ballgame.

“When you’re in the basketball setting playing with the guys, if my game ain’t starting off great, I miss three or four shots, somebody can pick it up, and we can still maintain the momentum on the crowd,”  the Los Angeles Lakers legend explained. “If I was to get into comedy, I would have to be raw and dirty,” he added. That’s perhaps why he prefers to sit back and enjoy comedy shows rather than actually participate.