Shaquille O’Neal didn’t hold back while discussing romance and relationships with Angel Reese.
The NBA legend explained why marriage probably isn’t in the cards for him after his divorce from ex-wife Shaunie Henderson in 2011.
“I’m gonna end up alone, ” Shaq said on the latest installment of Reese’s “Unapologetically Angel” podcast. “I already know it. Because y’all be making rules up as you go along. There is no handbook on how to be the perfect man or perfect husband … and y’all be making s–t up without telling us.
“If I’m not physically seeing somebody — me, the Diesel — and I’m with you everyday and you know my schedule, it shouldn’t matter what I’m doing on my phone. It’s not cheating and then you can’t tell me that’s worse than cheating. It’s not. I just don’t understand that.
“I already know I’m going to end up being alone … Nobody can understand me because I’m weird.”
The “NBA on TNT” personality went on to explain that he’s focused on work before his window of opportunity closes.
“I always tell people, men should always be focused on three things: protecting, providing and loving. But the problem with women is, you all want it in the order that you want it in,” he said.
“You date me, you want the love first. ‘Aw, let’s go here.’ No, I don’t got time for that right now. I’m a provider first. I only got 18 summers left and I’m gonna be 70. I’m not going to be doing podcasts at 70, I’m not going to be getting deals at 70. So, I’m trying to know all of this s–t out now.”
Shaq and Henderson, the creator of VH1’s reality series “Basketball Wives,” were married for seven years before they separated in 2009. Their divorce was finalized two years later.
They share four children, sons Shareef and Shaqir and daughters Amirah and Me’arah.
Shaq has a daughter, Taahirah, from a previous relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh, whom he’s called his “first love” in prior interviews.
The four-time NBA champ has taken the blame for the demise of both relationships on numerous ocassions.
In his 2011 memoir, “Shaq Uncut: My Story,” O’Neal explained that he “was a guy with too many options,” and that infidelity played a role in his split with Henderson.
