Shaq sparks concern with hospital bed photo
Shaquille O'Neal as DJ Diesel performs at Shaq's Fun House Big Game Weekend at Talking Stick Resort on February 10, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal sparked concerns about his health on Sunday when he tweeted a photo of himself from a hospital bed.
O’Neal's tweet was addressed to NBA broadcaster Ernie Johnson and WNBA superstar Candace Parker, both of whom are taking part in March Madness coverage on various TV channels. However, what O’Neal was doing in the hospital was troubling for fans of the former Los Angeles Lakers star.
While prayers were up for the big man, Awful Announcing’s Ken Fang relayed the message Johnson said during the tournament broadcast. Johnson said O’Neal was having hip replacement surgery.
O’Neal is only 51 years old, but while it appeared he has slimmed down from his playing days, his hip took a little bit too much wear and tear. At his peak, the NBA center was 325 pounds standing at 7-foot-1. He told Logan Paul last year he ballooned up to 401 pounds.
In December, O’Neal spoke about losing weight in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"A friend of mine called me and said, ‘You’re fat,’ and she gave me this guy’s name, and he did some blood work," he said at the time. "He was saying, ‘You can do this, you can’t do that, [eat] more vegetables, [your] iron’s low.’
"Once I just started changing those certain things, it dropped. It’s all about eating right."