The words, “I’m a Celebrity” are probably the last words you’ll ever expect to come out of Shaq’s mouth. This was after he confirmed his dislike for the “celebrity” label in an interview with PEOPLE. As a man with a reputation few would ever achieve, you’d expect him to embrace celebrity status. However, he just dislikes the word “celebrity” for specific reasons.
What Shaq Does Not Like About Celebrity Status
Shaq has attained so much for him to be in the position he holds. Being among the NBA stars holding a place in the Hall of Fame, an analyst for the TNT team, and working with several companies as a pitchman has shown him what living with people despite deserving the “celebrity” title means.
According to Shaq, “A lot of these people, when they come to a certain status, it automatically gives them the right to think they’re smarter than you, they’re better than you, they’re bigger than you, and I never wanted to be like that.” Shaq said this in the interview while referring to what he thought about celebrities and why he never wanted to be one of them.
Despite having enough to show off or flaunt, Shaq prefers keeping a low-key. He does not boast about the jewelry or wealth he has or show off his rides. Moreover, he does not travel in entourages.
Surprisingly, it is not like Shaq had not at some point done what he now thinks is not the way he wants to be seen. However, Shaq says his mom made him rethink his choices because, on that day, his mom showed him a side of her’s he had never seen.
A Lesson Shaq Learnt From His Mom
During this particular time, Shaq did not reveal the exact information, Shaq had let the status of being a celebrity get to his head. That’s when his mom stepped in to show how “stupid” it looked.
Shaq recalls the moment he went into celebrity status mode and his mom came over to his place to teach him a lesson. Lucille O’Neal, Shaq’s mom came over and replayed the tape showing Shaq acting out.
After the two had watched the clip, Lucille said, “How do you think that looks?” Shaq responded, “That looks stupid.” And, Lucille advised, “That’s not necessary, baby. You don’t need to do all that stuff.”
From that time on, Shaq dropped the title, “celebrity.” He is more of a regular guy who gives kids bikes and computers. Sometimes, he is seen playing basketball with other people. And when he organizes parties, he mingles with other people, just like any other person would.
Later, during the conversation, Shaq said, “I ain’t got no security. I ain’t got no entourage. I’m just a guy that played in the NBA.” And, he also pointed out that he has to do regular people’s stuff because he is a regular person.
