Shaquille O’Neal is telling anyone who will listen that his love for his ex-wife and reality TV star, Shaunie O’Neal, will never go away.
The former basketball star also let the mother of his children know that in his heart, she is still his wife. Recently, Shaunie took to Instagram, where she posted a somber picture of herself wearing a shirt with Kobe Bryant‘s numbers 24 and 8 on it.
The O’Neal family is very close to the Bryant clan. Shaunie also penned an emotional message about how the passing of the basketball icon and his daughter, Gianna Bryant changed her view on life.
She confessed: “When I put this sweatshirt on, so many emotions and memories ran through my mind. As I reflect on the last few months, I’m reminded to say I love you more, spend more time laughing, and less time trying to control what is out of my control! I pray you all are safe, enjoying your family and helping those who need a little more assistance during these times. ♥️Shaunie♥️”
Shaq, who is a hopeless romantic, dropped in the comment section to let Shaunie know that his heart still belongs to her. He wrote: “And I love your more, Mrs. Oneal.”
Many chimed in to share their opinions — some told Shaunie to give him another chance, while others say he will cheat and break her heart again.
Shaq is, without a doubt, one of the most legendary basketball players of all time, but not many people likely know the story of his former spouse, Shaunie.
The love story between the future NBA star and his wife-to-be began back in 1998 when the two of them met in Los Angeles while Shaunie was pursuing a career in film marketing.
The couple took their relationship to the next level in 2002 when they tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony that took place in Beverly Hills.
Even though their marriage lasted only seven years, during the time they were together, Shaunie and Shaquille welcomed four children: Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’arah.
However, it appears that the two parents were having troubles in their relationship, because they divorced in 2009 due to Shaquille’s supposed infidelity.
The NBA star has talked about what went wrong in his marriage on numerous occasions, and in his memoir, Shaq Uncut: My Story, he has confessed he was to blame for the divorce.
According to Shaquille, he was a “guy with too many options” and explained, “In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but obviously I shouldn’t have done it all.”
Besides, he also stated it was his fault for not being the best partner since he paid more attention to making money or winning at basketball.
Following the separation from her husband, Shaunie made a name for herself, as she played a major role in the hit show, Basketball Wives.
Afterward, her career in reality television took off, because later she also starred in the series Basketball Wives LA.
