Shaquille O’Neal was forced to respond to viral screenshots allegedly showing him sending deeply inappropriate messages to Sabrina Carpenter on Instagram, and he wants everyone to know it wasn’t him.
The NBA legend, 54, addressed the subject himself on his podcast, asking guest rapper Jim Jones to comment on whether the messages sounded like something he would write.
He then read aloud from one of the alleged DMs: “Damn, baby. I would keep your f*rts in a cologne bottle and spray it on myself every day. Just kidding, my name is Shaq baby, what’s your name?”
In the screenshot, Carpenter, 26, allegedly replied: “I know who you are, you’re way too famous to send me messages like that.”
O’Neal then read other messages, described as increasingly nasty, before dismissing the whole thing as an internet rumor.
His rebuttal was typically brutal. “I have a lot more game than that,” he says with a laugh.
The screenshots quickly spread on social media before O’Neal debunked them.
Carpenter is reportedly currently single following her relationship with actor Barry Keoghan. O’Neal is also single, having divorced his wife Shaunie in 2011 after nine years of marriage.
The former couple share four children.
In his playing days, the 7-foot-1 center was one of the most dominant forces in NBA history, winning four championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.
He was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA Draft and also played for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before retiring.
He has since built a second career as a popular and well-regarded NBA analyst.
