Legendary National Basketball Association star and Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal surprised many when he shared on a 2020 podcast that he voted for the first time in that year's presidential election.
O'Neal, who is best known as Shaq by many, admitted on a 2020 episode of his podcast "The Big Podcast with Shaq" that the 2020 election was the first time he voted.
"You know I always like being honest on my podcast. I've never voted before, America," O'Neal said. "But, now I'm doing all these voting campaigns, and you know, one thing I never like to do is be a hypocrite."
O'Neal said he used a mail-in ballot in the 2020 election, but did not share on the podcast who he voted for.
"I voted for the first time, and it feels good."
O’Neal admitted to not understanding the electoral college system, mentioning that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in the 2016 election, but lost to Trump, who had more electoral votes than her.
Despite not understanding the voting system, O'Neal said he had "no excuse" for not voting in earlier elections.
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Shaq Praised Donald Trump: In a previous interview, Shaq acknowledged his friendship with Donald Trump and said he believed the then-presidential candidate was misunderstood before the 2016 election.
"Donald Trump speaks to an eclectic type audience," O'Neal previously said.
The former NBA star acknowledged that while Trump speaks his mind, he often delivers his messages poorly.
"I just think he says it wrong." O’Neal acknowledged that Trump has no problem telling people to tuck in their shirts or pointing things out.
“Donald’s like a straight-up guy. He’s a straight-forward guy.”
With Trump running again in the 2024 election, O'Neal has not publicly said if he will be voting for him in this year's election. Benzinga reached out to O'Neal's team for an update on his current views regarding Trump, but no comment was provided.
Another Late Voter Athlete: While O'Neal voted for the first time in the 2020 election, a race car driver will make their first vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Forty-two year old former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick recently revealed that she had never voted in an election before.
"I just want to say I've never voted before, but this time around, I have to vote," Patrick said during a town hall she hosted for vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance. "It's that important."
Patrick said with "1,000%" certainty that she is voting for Trump and Vance in the 2024 election, as reported by the New York Post.
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