As one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, Candace Parker has certainly been in her share of high-energy moments. She’s been in the position of having to make big plays on the basketball court and, thanks to her efforts, she earned numerous accolades. However, even a pro like Parker can get thrown off a bit both on and off the court, and that was the case when she flew on good buddy Shaquille O’Neal’s private jet. Parker recently (and humorously) recalled what happened, and it sounds like something out of a TV show.
Shaq and Candace Parker have long been acquainted with each other, as both worked together for years for TNT Sports, specifically working on Inside the NBA. Parker discussed her friendship with the humorous former center while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (as seen on YouTube). Guest host Anthony Anderson eventually prompted to Parker to discuss the private plane story, which she says was set in motion after Shaq made the Los Angeles Sparks icon a kind offer:
I was new to the [NBA on TNT] team, and we were in North Carolina doing a shoot. And he was like, ‘I’m going to LA, just hop on my PJ.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, that beats getting in line at Delta and, you know, all that stuff.’ So I hop on his PJ. This dude DJ’ed on full blast for 4 hours and 38 minutes and then proceeded [for] the last 35 minutes to fall asleep and snore louder than the music. So that was the first and the last time that I took Shaq’s plane.
For those who aren’t aware, Shaquille O’Neal is indeed a DJ and has been one for several years now. The mere thought of being on a plane with him while he blasts music for hours on end is exhausting, so I can’t imagine having been in Candace Parker’s position. On top of that, as Anthony Anderson explained during the interview, O’Neal’s music of choice is Electronic Dance Music (or EDM), which features loud and distinctive beats. Parker also revealed how O’Neal utilizes those tunes in the workplace:
I work with him on Tuesday nights, and [EDM] is in the viewing room when we’re trying to watch the NBA games. He’s our personal DJ, but you gotta love the big fella.
Next to his Inside the NBA co-host, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal may be one of the most eccentric personalities in sports media (and possibly pop culture as a whole). He’s long discussed his love of being a DJ, a gig that he says gives him the same kind of “adrenaline boost” that a championship game provides him with. That’s not the only way O’Neal produces music, as he’s also a rapper – and considers himself to be the GOAT amongst players who’ve gotten into the business.
Shaq may have a tendency to blast loud music and engage in wild, on-air antics, but he’s also known for being fun and generous. When it comes to his generosity, the 15-time NBA All-Star recently tipped a server $1,000 while visiting a restaurant in Texas. He’s also been known to engage in other acts of kindness, with paying the bill for an entire eatery or buying a kid some shoes. So there are plenty of layers to the gregarious former center.
Candace Parker won’t be working with Shaquille O’Neal moving forward, as she’ll serve as a game and studio analyst for Prime Video starting this fall. Based on how she talks about O’Neal during the interview, the three-time WNBA champion will surely maintain her friendship with the big guy. I just wouldn’t expect Parker to ever fly on her pal’s private jet again.
