SHAQUILLE O’Neal has revealed his odd pregame ritual from NBA playing days.
The Los Angeles Lakers icon said he stayed up until the early morning hours to make sure he was in top form on the court the following day.
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NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has revealed his bizarre pregame ritualCredit: Instagram/BigPodWithShaq
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O’Neal said he stayed up until the early morning hours before games to make sure he was in top form on the courtCredit: Getty
O’Neal, 51, remembered how he would typically spend the evening before an NBA game as he hosted Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson his The Big podcast.
Iverson recalled how his former head coach Jim O’Brien suspended him for the next game against the Miami Heat during the 2004-05 season because of a late night out.
Shaq then chimed in, saying it’s a myth that athletes need to go to sleep early to be able to perform at a high level.
“I never go to bed early,” he said while pointing out it didn’t mean he was partying all night.
“Ever since [I was] 18 years old, I’ve never went to bed before 12 o’clock.”
The revelation seemed to have caught Iverson by surprise as the ex-guard pointed out that many of the NBA games start at 7 pm local time.
“That’s what I’m saying, you can take a nap,” Shaq explained.
“That was my thing, stay out all night, right?
“Like just 4:00 [am]. Get up at 10:00 [am]. Go to shootaround, mess around, come back.
“Two turkey clubs, fries and a pineapple soda, and then I’ll sleep the four hours.”
While O’Neal’s nighttime routine might seem bizarre to some, he still managed to dominate his opponents on a daily basis, the four-time NBA champ pointed out.
“That’s what I need before the game,” Shaq said.
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“Like if I get that three hours [of sleep] before the game, no matter what I did the night before, I’m killing somebody.
“They always try to make a big deal of him going out but…”
O’Neal added that when he actually tried to go to bed early, he wasn’t at his best the following game.
Shaq received the 2000 NBA MVP award in addition to three Finals MVP titles, 15 All-Star nods, and 14 All-NBA honors during his 19 seasons in the league.
