Shaquille O’Neal has long been known for his larger-than-life personality, both on and off the basketball court. Recently, the NBA Hall of Famer has been making headlines not for his basketball prowess but for his gambling exploits, which range from audacious million-dollar propositions to surprisingly calculated parlay bets.
Money-Making Bet
While he often gets his bets wrong, recently he gave one journalist his predictions for the recent NFL playoff games and got each of the winners in the games right.
The basketball legend told NBA on TNT colleague Adam Lefkoe who to bet on in his six-pick NFL Wild Card Round parlay, turning $500 into $12,000, marks an interesting chapter in his colorful betting history. The win is just as much a big deal for Shaq as it is for his friend.
The parlay included successful picks of the following Jan. 11 and Jan 12 victors: the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders.
The final leg hinged on the Los Angeles Rams, who delivered a decisive 27-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Rams’ dominant performance — including six sacks on Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and a commanding 24-3 halftime lead — proved his instincts right, and will now Minnesota will face the Eagles in the next round.
Lefkoe tweeted, “I had Shaq predict all of the NFL Wildcard games. I parlayed those picks. @shaq got them all right.”
I had Shaq predict all of the NFL Wildcard games.
— Adam Lefkoe (@AdamLefkoe) January 14, 2025
I parlayed those picks.@shaq got them all right 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Lg1RRJNvrG
The Big Diesel has previously struggles picking winners in sports.
Perhaps the most memorable incident came in November during a Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics preview, where a friendly disagreement with Charles Barkley on “Inside the NBA” escalated into a proposed $5 million wager.
The episode began with the 7-foot-1 former center boldly predicting “Cavs by 10,” prompting Barkley to challenge him with an initial $2 million bet that quickly grew.
Kenny Smith, knowing his friend’s history, famously quipped, “This dude has never paid a bet in 20 years.”
The situation turned comedic when Shaq started pulling out bands of big-face bills, saying he could cover any size bet. With an estimated net worth of $500 million, his colleagues knew if the bet had been real he could cover it.
They also knew that Barkley might be serious as he has admitted to winning as much as $5 million in one bet and losing over $25 million in gambling exploits from cards to sports bets.
However, it turned out The Big Aristotle was joking and was only flexing with prop money. Fortunately for him, the Cavaliers’ 120-117 loss to the Celtics meant no real money changed hands. This playful approach contrasts sharply with his more recent, calculated parlay success — even if he didn’t cash in on his predictions.
More recently, Shaq made headlines with his declaration to bet $1 million on Mike Tyson in the upcoming Jake Paul fight. On “The Dan Patrick Show,” he announced his unwavering confidence in the former heavyweight champion.
Unfortunately, Tyson would lose to Paul, leaving the big baller out of seven figures — if he actually placed the bet.
In a lighter moment, Shaq found himself on the winning side of a $100,000 bet with WNBA star Angel Reese. During the filming of her podcast “Unapologetically Angel,” which the 15-time All-Star helps produce, Reese playfully bet him he couldn’t make a free throw — a notorious weakness during his playing career.
To everyone’s surprise, particularly Reese’s, Shaq sank the shot, leading to her viral Instagram Story post acknowledging the (mock) debt.
This spectrum of betting activity — from million-dollar propositions to friendly wagers and now successful parlays — paints a picture of the former Laker’s evolving relationship with gambling. While his earlier bets often seemed more about entertainment and showmanship, his recent parlay success suggests a more calculated approach to sports betting.
Shaq’s gambling exploits have become a fascinating subplot in his post-NBA career. Whether he’s stacking prop money on TV, making bold proclamations, or carefully selecting NFL playoff games, O’Neal continues to captivate audiences with his antics. It’s another layer to the ever-entertaining public persona of a man who remains larger than life in every way.
