Shaquille O’Neal has revealed some of the celebrities he’s formed close friendships with – and how they stay in touch.
The 52-year-old NBA superstar, who performs under the name DJ Diesel, opened up about famous faces he’s become friends with during an interview with People, published on Friday (January 17).
“The Diesel knows everybody,” he told the publication, noting that he’ll be performing at a Super Bowl Party with two of his friends, John Summit and Ludacris. He’ll be working with his pauls on February 7 in New Orleans, two days before Kendrick Lamar headlines the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
He specified how long he’s known these musicians and that he tends to see them pretty often.
“I’ve been friends with Ludacris for over 30 years,” he explained. “Ludacris used to come by my house every time he was in LA unannounced, just to get some of my chef’s cake.”
O’Neal added: “And John Summit is a good friend of mine and said he’d love to be involved.”
According to the former NBA star, he’s been friends with Lamar for quite some time too, explaining: “I know Kendrick personally, so I know he’s going to put on a fabulous show.”
O’Neal also noted that he’s someone who’s focused on being “respectful” and “nice” to all of his friends, regardless of their celebrities or no
“It’s all about honor and respect, so every person I come in contact with, superstar or not, I just try to show as much respect as possible,” he said.
During last year’s Super Bowl, O’Neal also fulfilled his wish of meeting a famous pop star: Taylor Swift. Following the event, he shared a snap he took with Swift after she attended the Super Bowl to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. In the picture, he posed alongside the “Anti-Hero” singer and businessman Jamie Salter.
“Finally met @taylorswift me and @jamiejsalter gifted her a Nfl judith leiber bag,” O’Neal wrote.
This year, the former Los Angeles Lakers star is bringing his 7th annual “Shaq’s Fun House” to New Orleans, as the Super Bowl is being held at Caesars Superdome on Sunday, February 9. Along with performances by Summit and Ludcradis, O’Neal has invited DJ Irie to take the stage at the after-party, which will be hosted at Mardi Gras World.
“New Orleans is one of the most vibrant cities in the world, and it’s the perfect place to kick off Big Game Weekend. As an LSU alumni, Louisiana is like a second home to me. So it’s only fitting that my homecoming is a big city wide celebration,” O’Neal said in a statement. “We’ll have the best music, the wildest carnival rides, and, I can promise it will be anything like the boring corporate parties that weekend. This one is for the fans! I can’t wait to bring Shaq’s Fun House to this amazing city because it is like New Orleans.”
