Shaquille O’Neal admitted he let ‘two perfect women’ walk away as the NBA legend rued his mistakes in a brutal assessment of his personal life.
O’Neal granted the surprising insight into his life away from basketball as he appeared on the first episode of R&B star Monica’s show on Apple Music, ‘MoTalk Radio’. The 50-year-old lamented his failed relationships with Arnetta Yardbourgh and Shaunie Nelson, who O’Neal shares four children with.
“I had two perfect women and I messed it up,” the 15-time All-Star said. “My first one was my baby mother, Arnetta [Yardbourgh], and then I met Shaunie [Nelson]. Shaunie was also a perfect woman and I messed it up.
“Yeah, you know, we were young and always just doing dumb stuff. But, the good thing about our relationship is they forgave me and we have a good relationship now. But when you ask me about the perfect women - I had two perfect women and I messed it up, just by, you know being dumb.”
O’Neal and Nelson share four kids together: Shareef - who is trying to earn a spot in the NBA as a frontcourt star - Amirah, Shaqir and Me’arah. Nelson had a son, Myles, from a pervious relationship and he eventually took the Los Angeles Lakers icon’s surname.
O’Neal also fathered a daughter with ‘first love’ Yardbourgh, called Taahirah who was born in 1996. The former MVP also revealed his biggest nuggets of relationship advice so others don’t suffer the same mistakes he did.
“First thing you have to be is honest, honest with yourself and honest with your partner... I tell my sons all the time, a man has three jobs when it comes to a woman,” O’Neal added. “Protect, provide and love.
“Some men can only offer two, for whatever reason, but I'ma teach you how to offer all three. And that's what I try to do - and even though I don't have a relationship with the women I let get away, I will always PPL: protect, provide, and love, whatever they need they get it from me.”
Nelson re-married in May 2022 - 11 years after her divorce from O’Neal was finalised in 2011 following nine years of marriage. The NBA great gave his thoughts added: “I hope this gentleman treats her the way she's supposed to be treated, and I'm going to still love her. “She's still my wife. I will always protect, provide and love for her - married or not.”
While O’Neal struggled with his personal life off the court, his professional life thrived. Renowned as one of the most dominant centers in NBA history, O’Neal retired as a four-time NBA champion and 2000 MVP after dominating with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat among others across a 19-year career.
