Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neil doesn’t want to be known as a hypocrite. Now that he’s involved in voting campaigns, he also wanted to do his part. At the age of 48, O’Neil just voted for the first time.
On Wednesday, during his Podcast, “The Big Podcast With Shaq,” he admitted that he had never voted but had recently done so for the first time when he filled out his absentee ballot.
“You know I always like being honest on my podcast. I’ve never voted before, America,” O’Neal said. “But, now I’m doing all these voting campaigns, and you know one thing I never like to do is be a hypocrite.”
“In other words, America, I voted for the first time, and it feels good,” he told his co-hosts, who were shocked by the admission.
O’Neil said he didn’t understand the electoral college system and brought up the 2016 election when Hillary Clinton lost to Trump. Still, the former Lakers center says that wasn’t a good enough reason for him not to vote earlier but credited being more “involved” in helping officials getting elected, such as Atlanta’s district attorney, Fani Willis, and sheriffs in Lafayette, Louisiana, and Naples, Florida, as more of a push to cast a vote.
O’Neil’s admission meant he also didn’t vote for his friend Forever President Barack Obama when he was elected two times. His cost host was surprised by this.
“I can’t believe you didn’t vote for Obama,” co-host John Kincade said.
O’Neal did not reveal who he voted for the upcoming election.
