Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has sparked concern among his fans after sharing a photo of himself in a hospital bed.
In the image, the 51-year-old basketball legend can be seen sleeping with a drip in his left hand and a blood pressure monitor attached to his right arm. While the reason for his hospitalization is unclear, fans flooded social media with well-wishes and prayers for his speedy recovery.
In his Instagram post, Shaq made a lighthearted reference to his absence from TNT’s NBA coverage, where he works as an analyst, saying “I’m always watching @TurnerSportsEJ and @Candace_Parker miss y’all.” But it was clear from the image that he was dealing with a serious health issue.
Despite the worry among his fans, there was some reassurance that Shaq’s hospitalization was related to a planned surgery. One commenter on Instagram said, “Okay, for everyone that is worried about Shaq, he is getting a new hip. Get well big guy and rest.”
Shaq’s hospitalization comes after he embarked on a weight-loss journey that saw him shed 36 pounds, dropping from 401 pounds to 365 pounds. In an interview with Page Six, the former basketball star credited his weight loss to changing his diet and adopting a healthier lifestyle.
“A friend of mine called me and said, ‘You’re fat.’ She gave me this guy’s name, and he did some blood work. He was saying, ‘You can do this, you can’t do that, [eat] more vegetables, [your] iron’s low.’ Once I just started changing those certain things, it dropped. It’s all about eating right,” Shaq said.
Shaq is a four-time NBA champion and is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He retired from the sport in 2011 and has since become a popular television personality, often appearing as an analyst on NBA coverage. His fans will be hoping for a swift recovery and a return to his regular duties on TV.
