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Shaquille O’Neal wants people to appreciate their families and avoid the mistakes he made that cost him his, a confidant for the NBA legend told the New York Post.

In a recent podcast with Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, the 51-year-old NBA on TNT co-host confessed to ‘dumba** mistakes’ in his marriage that he now regrets: ‘I lost my whole family. I’m in a 100,000-square-foot house by myself.’

A friend of O’Neal’s doubled down on the remarks to the Post on Wednesday.

‘The point I was trying to make is that I want other people to learn from the mistakes that I made,’ the anonymous friend told the Post. ‘You get married, you make vows and you should be thankful for what you have. Stay with it. I want people, especially those in the public eye, to learn from me.

‘He is telling people to live in the present and care about their families because they can’t be replaced,’ the friend added.

Shaunie O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal celebrate Shareef O’Neal’s 18th birthday party in 2018

O’Neal and Shaunie divorced in 2011 after nine years of marriage. The couple has four children

Shaquille O’Neal also offered some advice to Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce (pictured)

As for O’Neal supposedly sitting alone in a 100,000-square foot home, another source tells the Post that’s not exactly the case. 

‘Maybe at some point, when he was living in his large home in Orlando, soon after the split from his wife, he was alone,’ the source said. 

Rathe, the source continued, O’Neal is primarily concerned with his growing business empire. 

‘He works so hard; he’s so busy,’ the source said. ‘He has a great work ethic and is focused on being successful. I think he believes that you need to make hay while the sun is shining. And right now the sun is shining. He doesn’t give himself the downtime that other successful people do.’ 

O’Neal did not elaborate on his specific mistakes during his nine-year marriage with Shaunie, who is mother to four of his six children.

Shaquille and Shaunie O’Neal pose with two of their sons as they watch the 3-Point Shootout

However, O’Neal was accused of infidelity by his late teammate Kobe Bryant, who was being facing Sєxual ᴀssault allegations himself 21 years ago in Colorado when he shared details about Shaq’s alleged affairs with police.

‘I should have done what Shaq does,’ Bryant allegedly told police in 2003. ‘Shaq gives [mistresses] money or buys them cars, he has already spent one million dollars.’

The police report then added: ‘Kobe stated that Shaq does this to keep the girls quiet.’

The Big Aristotle later included a reference to the allegations while freestyling in 2008: ‘I’m a horse / Kobe ratted me out, that’s why I’m gettin’ divorced / He said Shaq gave a bitch a mil / I don’t do that, because my name’s Shaquille.’

NBA player Shaquille O’Neal and wife Shaunie O’Neal at Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night XIV in Scottsdale in 2008

The two centers, Kelce and O’Neal, got on the topic while discussing Jason’s potential retirement from the NFL.

‘If you are going to retire, accept it,’ O’Neal told the Philadelphia Eagles star. ‘Enjoy your family brother. I made a lot of dumba** mistakes to where I lost my family and I didn’t have anybody. That’s not the case for you.

‘So enjoy your beautiful wife, enjoy your beautiful kids, and never dwell on what we had. You got the [Super Bowl] ring, people know who you are, enjoy it. Because again, I was an idiot. I lost my whole family [and] I’m in a 100,000 square foot house by myself.’

Despite lamenting over living a solitary life inside mᴀssive mansions, O’Neal happens to own several colossal properties.

While many details of of his estate are unconfirmed, public records – revealed by the Post – indicate that the TNT NBA analyst owns nine lavish properties across Nevada, Texas, Georgia and Florida.

Over the last four years, O’Neal bought four different homes in McDonough, Georgia. The properties combine for 30 acres of land, which could indicate and intention to build a bigger estate.

O’Neal also owns a 4,600-square-foot home in Hampton, Georgia.

His most recent purchase is a five-bedroom, six-bathroom estate in the Dallas suburb of Carrolton that occupies over 5,200 square feet. This purchase comes just months after selling his mansion in Orlando, Florida.

Records obtained by the New York Post show that O’Neal also owns a 6,400-sqaure-foot home in Sugar Land, Texas.

Shaquille O’Neal attends the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium 

Additionally, In 2021, O’Neal bought a modern, sleek estate spanning 4,800 square feet in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kelce received O’Neal’s words of wisdom while he contemplated retiring after the Eagles’ wild card loss in January. After going 11-6 in the season, Philadelphia got blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 32-9.

O’Neal played 19 seasons in the NBA with stints for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. O’Neal won three of his тιтles in Los Angeles and one in Miami before retiring in 2011.

Aside from winning three Finals MVPs and a regular season MVP in 2000, O’Neal had 15 All-Star and 17 All-NBA selections.

O’Neal has four kids with his ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal. He also has a stepson from Shaunie’s previous relationship and a daughter with his ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh.