Many sports commentators and analysts have shared their takes on suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka.
Shaquille O’Neal won’t be one of them.
On a recent episode of his weekly podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal briefly spoke about why he feels he shouldn’t take a position and criticize Udoka, who had an intimate, but consensual, relationship with a female
Celtics staffer, which is against team policy.Udoka was suspended for the upcoming NBA season. The suspended coach has been dating Love Jones actress, Nia Long. The two have a child together.
According to Sportskeeda, O’Neal had this to say regarding the Udoka reporting.
“I am going to step down from this conversation. I was a serial cheater. It would be crazy and blasphemous for me to get up here and say, ‘Boom, boom, bam.’ I can’t do that. I know these guys personally. I know they’re going through a lot because I went through a lot.
“I just wish that certain parties weren’t involved. I’ve known Nia Long for a long time and I like her…They’re going through a lot of family stuff. I’m never the guy that’s gonna get up here because of my platform and fake it.”
O’Neal has publicly admitted in the past his infidelities during his marriage. Back in April, according to the New York Post, the NBA Hall of Famer opened up about the cause of the divorce from Shaunie O’Neal.
Here is what Shaq had to say when he appeared on The Pivot Podcast with hosts Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark, and Fred Taylor:
“She did exactly what she was supposed to do and gave me beautiful kids, take care of the house, take care of the corporate stuff. It was just all me. Sometimes, when you make a lot of mistakes like that, you can’t really come back from that.”