Shaq Reveals What Happened When He Went to Mike Tyson’s Home for the First Time
Shaquille O'Neal developed a friendship with Mike Tyson
NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal has revealed the huge surprise he encountered on his first visit to the home of legendary heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson.
Shaq is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, having won four championships during his illustrious career.
Tyson, meanwhile, made his name in boxing, reigning as the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.
After he was released from prison in 1995, he went on to regain both the WBA and WBC titles.
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While they achieved success in different sports, Shaq and Tyson developed a friendship during the 1990s.
Speaking on The Big Pod with Shaq earlier this year, the NBA star recalled the first time he visited Tyson's house.
Shaq said: "Before his fight, he says: 'Hey come to the house, so we go to his house, ring the bell. Ding dong.'
"I hear him say: 'Come in.'
"So I open the door, there's nobody in the lobby, so I want to make myself at home.
"I start walking and a f*****g tiger comes running down the stairs, a real white tiger.
"A white tiger came running down the stairs."
The interviewer then asked how much s**t came out.
"A lot," Shaq replied.
"So I'm f*****g turning around trying to get to the thing and then Mike came and he started wrestling the tiger.
"I told my boy, I said: 'I'm not a gambling man, but I wish I had $1 million to put on the fight.
"I've just seen this man stop a full-grown f*****g tiger, he's about to kill this dude."
Tyson then revealed that slept in the same bed as his tiger for two years and bought a special vehicle to transport the animal so it could travel with him to other states.
At one stage, Tyson owned three Bengal tigers, but as they grew larger, he donated two of them to a local sanctuary.
However, he did keep one called Kenya for 16 years.
Even if Tyson became comfortable living with tigers, Shaq's first trip to the boxer's house certainly left a lasting impression.
However, that was not the first time Shaq had met Tyson, having previously visited the boxer while he was in prison.
In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, but he was released on parole after three years.
Shaq, who was drafted into the NBA in 1992, revealed his shock that Tyson knew who he was when he went to see him in prison.
Topics: Shaquille ONeal, Mike Tyson, NBA, Boxing, Basketball
James Taylor