A Regretful Shaq Gives Jason Kelce Some Advice About Retirement

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most iconic and well-known players from the NBA, a celebrity who has transcended just being known for basketball. Shaq retired from basketball in 2011 and has been an Inside NBA analyst since.

However, a life full of fame and money may not be as glamorous as it sounds.

"I was an Idiot"

Last weekend, Shaq had Philadelphia Eagles Center Jason Kelce on his podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq, to talk about life and his life after retirement. Jason Kelce, 36, has been openly toying with the idea of retirement, unofficially announcing it and openly partying with fans. The kind of behavior that doesn't seem typical of someone trying to sustain a public image.

In a very human moment, Shaq opens up about his struggles with post-retirement life. He discusses the drastic change from having a rigorous routine and a competitive spirit to having a far different schedule. His main advice comes right at the end of the episode where Shaq leaves Jason with this advice:

My advice to you is, if you are going to retire, accept it. Enjoy your family, brother. I made a lot of dumb mistakes to where I lost my family and I didn’t have anybody. That’s not the case for you, so enjoy your beautiful wife, enjoy your beautiful kids and never dwell on what we had."

This piece of advice on its own is notable, as a transition from an athlete to a civilian is probably a hard pill to swallow. We've seen plenty of athletes be unable to accept retirement and lose their families as a result. Looking at you, Tom Brady.

Shaq continued his advice from there, opening up about the sadness and regret he experienced post-retirement and the impact it had on his family.

What we had is what we got. You got the ring, people know who you are. Enjoy because, again, I was an idiot. And I’ve talked about it a long time.  I lost my whole family. I’m in a 100,000 square-foot house by myself."

 

Ouch. That last line is particularly brutal. Money doesn't buy happiness, and it sounds like Shaq realized that fame and glory don't matter if you don't have people to share it with. You can view the whole conversation surrounding the quote below.