Shaquille O’Neal has always been more than just a basketball player. He’s a DJ, an actor, and a businessman, but one lesser-known interest? Hookah. Kenny Smith once spilled the tea on All the Smoke podcast, recalling Shaq’s early TNT days. “He created a hookah lounge in the studio, and they let him do this,” Smith said. “He was like, ‘I have to have my hookah.’” Apparently, they even set up a TV outside so he could keep up while smoking. At the time, Shaq was still adjusting to the crew, and his hookah obsession didn’t exactly help.
It turns out this wasn’t just a casual hobby. Back in 2022, Shaq admitted the truth during a backstage moment on Inside the NBA, shown on Netflix. While others headed to bars post-show, Shaq didn’t drink due to personal reasons. Feeling left out, he found a unique fix. As Charles Barkley revealed, Shaq came in one day and said, “I…
