Shaquille O’Neal reveals one heartbreaking regret from NBA career in powerful retirement advice to Jason Kelce
Shaquille O'Neal has offered Jason Kelce some important advice as the Eagles star evaluates his future.
The Philadelphia center joined the NBA legend on 'The Big Podcast with Shaq' this week to discuss a number of topics, including retirement.
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Kelce has been playing in the NFL since 2011 and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2018.
He is widely regarded as one of the most universally loved players in NFL history.
However, after Philly crashed out of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this season's Wild Card Round, speculation has been rife that Jason, 36, could call it quits.
He even broke down in tears discussing retirement after the Eagles' season ended.
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Jason's potential retirement came up in his conversation with Shaq and the former Lakers star had one valuable piece of advice.
“My advice to you is if you are going to retire, accept it, [and] enjoy your family, brother,†O’Neal said.
The conversation then turned towards Shaq's own personal life and the mistakes he'd made in the past.
“I made a lot of dumb mistakes to where I lost my family, and I didn’t have anybody," the four-time NBA champion said.
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"That’s not the case for you. So enjoy your beautiful wife. Enjoy your beautiful kids, and never dwell on what we had.
"What we had is what we got. You got the ring. People know who you are. Enjoy. Because again, I was an idiot and I’ve talked about it a long time.
"I lost my whole family. I’m in a 100,000 square foot house by myself.â€
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Shaq was seemingly referencing his previous relationship with ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal.
The former couple were married from 2002 to 2011 and have four children together. They split in 2009 after seven years of marriage.
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O'Neal has spoken about their divorce in the past and shouldered a lot of the responsibility for the breakdown.
“I was bad,†he said on in 2022. "She was awesome. She really was. It was all me."
The 51-year-old also admitted that he “wasn’t protecting her and protecting those vows.â€
As for Jason, he told Shaq he's 'still figuring out' what he wants to do next season and beyond.
“I think I’ll have an answer in the next couple weeks,†Kelce explained.
“I think if I still want to play, I’m going to play,†he went on.
"I think right now we’re not far enough away from the last game. It’s emotional, it’s a long season, the end of the season quite frankly, awful.
"So I’m just going to take some time, rest, recoup and then figure it out.â€
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During a recent episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Travis, Jason also revealed that his decision to play again will be based on "whether I want to do it" and if he can "endure that again."
"I didn't announce what I was doing on purpose, despite, I guess, what's been leaked to the media," Jason said.
"I just don't think you're in a position after a game like that to really make that decision, I just don't, there's too much emotion in the moment, there's too much going down in the moment to really fully grasp that decision."
Meanwhile, various reports emerged that Jason could be considering a career in broadcasting following his wild Super Bowl antics in Vegas.
Front Office Sports reported that Kelce met with ESPN and Fox to find out more about TV jobs that could be out there for him if he chooses to retire.
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If that's what he chooses, Shaq, who has become a prominent TV personality and analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA, thinks he's got a bright future.
"He’s [Jason] funny, very educated and a great speaker," O'Neal said.
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