NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal shocked fans Sunday night when he posted a video of himself in a hospital bed without any context.
However, it sounds as if there’s nothing terribly serious to be worried about. TMZ Sports reported on Monday that the 51-year-old Hall of Famer underwent hip surgery. TNT’s Ernie Johnson had said during an NCAA tournament broadcast on Sunday night that O’Neal underwent hip replacement surgery over the weekend.
It’s possible O’Neal scheduled the surgery to take place during the NCAA tournament, while his “NBA on TNT” peers—Candace Parker, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Johnson—cover the Big Dance.
Parker responded to O’Neal’s tweet in supportive fashion, writing “Love ya big Fella” with a heart emoji.
It’s unknown at this time when O’Neal will be ready to return to his analyst duties with TNT, but a likely timeframe might be mid-April. The NBA regular season ends April 9, and the playoffs are slated to begin on April 15.
