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Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal, who's known for his brute strength and towering presence inside the basketball court, is now considering conquering the skies. After exploring different careers outside of basketball, the seven-foot-one center is not playing on the thought of getting a pilot's license.
In a recent conversation with GQ Sports' Matthew Roberson, he expressed that it took a short time to learn how to fly.
"You know, I talked to my pilot about that the other day! He told me what it takes to get your license, I was kind of surprised. It didn’t sound that hard. He said it takes three months. I said, Huh? You would think it was like a four-year college thing! I may do it," said Shaq.
Living in the Georgia countryside, Shaquille O'Neal explored the possibility of enrolling in a local flight school. The big man admitted feeling intimidated by the number of buttons in the cockpit, but he is determined to overcome the challenge.
"I live out in the country in Georgia, there’s a little flight school. I’ll go out there and see what it takes. What intimidates me? All those damn buttons," adds O'Neal.
Shaquille O'Neal recalls the last time he had to fly a commercial
With the financial status and popularity of the former LSU Tiger, O'Neal usually travels first class. In the same interview with GQ Sports, Shaquille O'Neal reminisced about the time he had to fly a commercial.
"Probably in the 80's. I used to fly from Baton Rouge to San Antonio a lot on Southwest. I knew the people at the gate in Baton Rouge and the people at the gate in San Antonio. I’d show up like three hours early and they’d say, “Pick a seat!”," said O'Neal.
The former NBA MVP also shared that he had to fly business class to Abu Dhabi because first-class seats don't have space for someone of his proportion.
"Last time I flew commercial we went to Abu Dhabi. It wasn’t first class, it was business class. I was supposed to have one of those bed thingies. But they don’t make those for a guy my size."
