Dating can be tricky business, but when your friend is a 7’1″, 325-pound NBA legend like Shaquille O’Neal, dating his ex-girlfriend might just become a whole other sport. Comedian Deon Cole recently shared his close call with this situation on Club Shay Shay, Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, and let’s just say—he doesn’t recommend trying to fill Shaq’s shoes, literally or figuratively.
Cole admitted he had no clue the woman he was dating had once been with the Big Diesel, but had he known, he’d have taken a hard pass. When Sharpe quipped that living up to Shaq’s reputation with women is impossible, Cole fully agreed. Shaq’s reputation for treating his partners well—think grand gestures, constant support, and still being there for his exes like Shaunie O’Neal—is a high bar to reach.
It’s no secret Shaq’s relationships have spanned from Arnetta Yardbourgh, with whom he shares his oldest daughter, to his marriage with Shaunie, which lasted until 2011. Since then, he’s been romantically linked with Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander, model Laticia Rolle, and, more recently, actress Annie Ilonzeh. But even post-breakup, Shaq remains close with his children’s mothers, setting an example Cole knows he can’t match.
It turns out, dating one of Shaq’s exes might just come with a side of self-doubt—and a strong reminder that it’s probably best to leave Shaq’s love life to Shaq.
