Shaquille O'Neal Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Could we see Shaq play in Ice Cube's 3-on-3 league?

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 3/16/24

Even at 52 years old, Shaquille O’Neal might not be done dunking on fools just yet.

Retired NBA legend O’Neal had fellow Miami Heat alum Mario Chalmers as a guest on the latest episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq.” Chalmers, who now plays in the BIG3 (Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league), pitched O’Neal on the possibility of playing in the league with him and Michael Beasley (another ex-Heat player).

O’Neal admitted that he has “thought about it,” though the Big Diesel noted that he recently underwent hip surgery. But Chalmers told O’Neal that he could just camp out in the paint thanks to the half-court play and the team’s switch-heavy style of defense. O’Neal definitely sounded intrigued by the possibility.

Take a look at the full clip below.

Could you see Shaq playing in the Big 3? pic.twitter.com/Hl4V8YpLHI

— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) March 15, 2024

While the seven-footer retired from the NBA nearly a decade-and-a-half ago in 2011, there is precedent for players of O’Neal’s age suiting up in the BIG3. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, O’Neal’s old college teammate at LSU, is still playing in the league at 55 years old. Charles Oakley –now 60 and a coach in the BIG3 – was roughly O’Neal’s age when he was playing in the BIG3 around 2017.

The recent hip procedure for O’Neal (which seemed like a pretty major one) is obviously a big complicating factor. But it might not be the craziest thing in the world to see O’Neal make a one or two game cameo in the BIG3 at some point.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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