Shaquille O'Neal's Bizarre Pre-Game Ritual From His Magic Days

Shaquille O’Neal is undoubtedly one of the best big men to ever step foot on the court. Seeing the seven-foot giant jumping over his rivals' HEADS to score a dunk was always worth the money for fans. Incidentally, the various pre-game rituals of their idols are something that fans adore. Some pre-game rituals are bizarre, while others are rather common.
Kobe Bryant once revealed that he repeatedly listened to the ‘Halloween’ theme music before a big game.

Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal was making headlines even before he joined the NBA. ESPN throwback released an exclusive interview with Shaq in 2014. In that interview, the Los Angeles Lakers legend talked about his personal and professional life. His explanation of his pre-game ritual was one of the interview’s highlights.

“I had many, many pre-game rituals,” the Hall of Famer said. “So in Orlando, it was after shootaround, I’d go to this Italian restaurant and get spaghetti and meatballs and one piece of bread,” Shaq added. The four-time NBA champion also added that he would have then go home and take a nap, followed by a hot shower and then a cold shower before heading to the stadium.

The Big Diesel further added that if he had a bad game, then he would switch things up, such as not going to the restaurant and instead having the spaghetti delivered to his house. Shaq would keep fine-tuning things until he had a dominant game once again. 

One of the most common pre-games rituals has to be listening to songs. Some players listened to music that pumped them up, while others prefer music to help them zone out. Shaq said that he used to listen to the song ‘Bullet Proof Soul’ by Sade before arriving at the game. The catchy beat of the song tickled his ears and the piano would help calm him down. While riding to the game, he shifted to Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man, Snoop Dogg, or Dr. Dre.

Everyone knew when the big man was coming as he Rode through the neighborhood with songs blasting from the big speakers in his car.

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