NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently shared an unusual story about his eating habits, revealing that he once sent a sandwich back to his personal chef because it contained too much turkey.
The four-time NBA champion explained that certain habits from his childhood have remained with him despite the wealth and success he accumulated during his basketball career.
O’Neal credited his father with teaching him lessons that continue to influence his everyday decisions.
“My dad’s process was, You make the mistake and it teach you not to make that same mistake twice. And I’m still doing stuff at 50 now that I was doing when I was eight or nine.”
The former Los Angeles Lakers center then recalled an interaction with his personal chef, who prepared a turkey sandwich using three slices of meat instead of the single slice O’Neal was accustomed to eating growing up.
“My guy was laughing at me the other day ‘cause I told my chef to make me a sandwich and he put three pieces of turkey on it and I sent it back. F*ck we don’t play that. One slice of turkey. That’s how it was growing up. One slice of turkey, one slice of cheese.”
O’Neal explained that his preference had nothing to do with his current financial situation.
Instead, he said it reflected the way he was raised and the routines he developed at a young age.
Even when someone pointed out that he could easily afford a larger sandwich, O’Neal refused to change his preference.
“He’s like, ‘Come on, man.’ I was like, ‘No, no, no, no. I don’t play that, I’m not. One slice of turkey.’ He said, ‘man, you’re rich.’ I said, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. One slice of turkey, one.’ So, it’s just nature. Habits instilled in me.”
