When Candace Parker accepted what seemed like a generous offer from Shaquille O’Neal to hitch a ride on his private jet, she thought she was in for a luxurious flight to Los Angeles. Instead, the basketball legend found herself trapped in an airborne dance party that would make even the most dedicated club-goer beg for mercy. Parker’s recent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” delivered one of the most entertaining travel horror stories in recent memory.
During her appearance with guest host Anthony Anderson, Parker recounted the incident that began in North Carolina during a work shoot when the 7-foot-1 former NBA champion offered her a ride to Los Angeles.
Welcome Aboard
“I was new to the team, and we were in North Carolina doing a shoot. He was like, ‘I’m going to L.A. Just hop on my PJ,'” Parker explained, “And I’m like, ‘OK, that beats getting in line at Delta and, you know, all that stuff.'”
What followed was an airborne nightmare.
For four hours and 30 minutes, O’Neal transformed his luxury aircraft into a flying nightclub, DJing electronic dance music at full volume while Parker sat trapped at 40,000 feet. The ordeal reached its crescendo when the four-time NBA champion finally powered down his DJ equipment, only to immediately fall asleep and produce snores that somehow managed to be louder than the pounding EDM beats.
“This dude DJ’d on full blast for four hours and 30 minutes and then proceeded, for the last 35 minutes, to fall asleep and snore louder than the music,” Parker recounted to a laughing studio audience. “So that was the first and the last time that I took Shaq’s plane.”
Anderson, clearly familiar with O’Neal’s musical proclivities, confirmed the story to the audience, “Shaq really is a DJ, but his choice of music is EDM.”
The jet in question is a 2023 Bombardier Challenger 650 that O’Neal purchased for approximately $27 million, featuring his iconic “Dunkman” logo on the tail and wingtips. According to Sports Illustrated, the aircraft accommodates up to 12 passengers with a 4,000 nautical mile range and cream leather seating with high-gloss wood paneling that created an atmosphere of luxury that Parker probably couldn’t fully appreciate over the thunderous EDM soundtrack.
O’Neal’s ability to afford such extravagances stems from a career that earned him $292 million during his playing days and a current net worth exceeding $500 million. While his TNT analyst role reportedly pays around $15 million annually, the bulk of his wealth comes from business investments in Papa John’s Pizza, Five Guys, Krispy Kreme, and car washes. He also serves as president of basketball at Reebok.
Parker revealed that O’Neal brings his DJ enthusiasm into the TNT workplace, regularly spinning tracks in the control room during NBA game broadcasts while colleagues attempt to focus.
“He’s a personal DJ, but you gotta love the big fella,” Parker said with obvious affection.
Despite her firm aviation boycott, Parker emphasized the genuine respect and friendship she shares with O’Neal.
“Definitely love him a lot,” she assured the audience, making clear that their professional chemistry reflects authentic mutual admiration.
Since retiring from her legendary WNBA career, Parker has transitioned into executive and media roles. Adidas elevated her to president of women’s basketball in May 2024, where she oversees talent acquisition and content creation. Amazon Prime Video also tapped her as a studio analyst for NBA and WNBA games in May 2025, joining Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, and Udonis Haslem. Her TNT journey began in 2018 before evolving into her current full-time analyst role.
The Los Angeles Sparks will retire her No. 3 jersey on June 29, making her only the third player in franchise history to receive this distinction.
As for future travel arrangements, Parker’s flying preferences will undoubtedly involve significantly less electronic music and considerably more peace. Meanwhile, O’Neal presumably continues his aerial DJ sets, spinning tracks at cruising altitude for whatever brave passengers dare to board Shaq Air, just without Candace Parker occupying seat 2A.
1
555
555′”