Shaquille O’Neal, the multifaceted talent who has achieved so much in his career, reveals that there are still a couple of things on his bucket list.
“I’ve pretty much accomplished most of what I set out to do, but I’ve always wanted to go skydiving,” he shares. He adds that he once tried scuba diving but found it unappealing due to the extreme depths involved. “I didn’t enjoy scuba diving. So, skydiving is probably next on my list. I often sit and think, ‘I want to try this, I want to try that.’ So, I think the next big thing I’d love to do is skydiving.”
O’Neal mentions that he inquired about skydiving previously but had concerns about whether the parachutes could support his substantial stature. He explains, “My only fear is, can the parachute hold me? I attended a class once, and the instructor asked, ‘How much do you weigh?’ I replied, and at that time, I was heavy, ‘400 lbs.’ She said, ‘I think it goes up to 350. But my mom, she sews. She can sew two together.'”
In his humorous style, the 7-foot-1 retired athlete jests, “It would be just my luck that my mom didn’t feel like sewing that day. Then I’d be all the way up there, and the thing just rips in half. So, I want to make sure everything’s in order before I take that leap.”
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Another aspiration on O’Neal’s bucket list is hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro. “I’ve thought about hiking up there,” he mentions. “But I’d probably need to be in peak, tip-top shape to accomplish that.”
At 51, O’Neal still considers himself a kid at heart and was inspired to try skydiving after observing people doing it on social media. “I’d always follow these youngsters who skydive and jump out of planes, and I’d always wonder what it would feel like if I could do that. So, if I were to do something extraordinary, it would probably be that.”
Fortunately for O’Neal, he’s now getting to live out some of his wildest fantasies as the Chief Fantasy Officer for Fantasy Lab Las Vegas. “Fantasy Lab is one of my favorite places in Las Vegas,” he enthuses.
“It’s a place that helps you, I don’t want to say fulfill your fantasies, but it lets you delve deeper into them.”
O’Neal adds, “When I first discovered it, I thought, ‘I never knew a place like this existed.’ And it was fantastic. So, I gave them a call and said, ‘Hey, can I be a part of this?’ “
Now, the NBA legend has collaborated on designing seven immersive rooms at Fantasy Lab that provide visitors with a glimpse into his own dreams and fantasies.
O’Neal is so thrilled with the outcome of the Fantasy Lab rooms that he’s considering replicating some of these fantasies in his own home. “I’ve always wanted to do something like this. I plan on creating a few rooms in my house like this, and I’m excited about making this a must-visit destination in Las Vegas.”
