“The happiest days of my life were coming home and hearing six different people saying, ‘Daddy, daddy, daddy’” - Shaquille O'Neal reveals the stiff price he had to pay for being a serial cheater

During his peak, Shaquille O'Neal had the league and basketball in the palm of his hands. He was an MVP, a three-time NBA Finals MVP and a four-time champ. Shaq had all the accolades, money and fame, but lost his family.

On 'The Big Podcast with Shaq', O’Neal openly admitted how his serial cheating cost him nearly everything:

“The happiest days of my life were coming home and hearing six different people saying, ‘Daddy, daddy, daddy.’ Forget the money, forget the cars, didn’t forget the championships, especially when they were little, two and three when they didn’t really care that I missed 10, 15 free throws. Those were the best days of my life.

“When I lost those, I’m not gonna use the 'D' word 'cause I know a lot of people are suffering that, but I was all the way down. And sometimes I’m still all the way down, especially when I was in my house in Orlando, that was 70,000 feet in there by myself. I built the house for the kids. … When I lost that by being stupid, it killed me.”

Shaquille O'Neal was just coming off a grand slam and third consecutive NBA Finals MVP award with the LA Lakers when he married Shaunie O’Neal. He was arguably the best player in the league at the time and inarguably its most marketable superstar.

Five years later, the couple filed for divorce, which they eventually wanted to be dismissed and reconciled. Two years after originally filing for divorce, they were back at it again in 2009 due to 'irreconcilable differences'.

The former couple had four children together, Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir and Me’arah. Shaquille O'Neal had a daughter with former girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh while Shaunie had Myles before marrying Shaq.

It would come out later than Shaquille O'Neal’s cheating was the biggest reason why Shaunie had had enough. On 'The Pivot' podcast, O’Neal opened up on some of the details of the divorce and his regrets for what he did:

“I wasn’t protecting her and protecting those vows. … Sometimes when you live that double life, you get caught up.”

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Shaquille O'Neal admits being too greedy to appreciate what he had until he lost it

When it seemed like he had everything going for him, Shaquille O'Neal wanted more, forgetting that what he needed was right there all along.

“I was just being greedy. I had the perfect situation. Wife was finer than a mug, kept giving me babies and still finer than a mug and I had it all and I don’t make excuses as I know I messed up.

"After the divorce, I was lost. 76,000 square foot house by yourself and you’re lost. No kids, go to the gym and no one’s playing in the gym.”

After being greedy, Shaq is just doing the best he can to be there for his children. This includes making amends with his former wife, who he reportedly has a stronger relationship with now than when they were married.