Shaq is having second thoughts about sharing the now-viral meme of Drake rocking an itty-bitty bikini.
On Friday (June 28), the four-time NBA champion issued an apology to Drizzy during an episode of The Big Podcast for what he now believes to have been an ill-fated move. Last week, Shaq had an edited photo of himself on a boat with a bikini-clad girl whose face was swapped with Drake’s, set to the Metro Boomin diss track “BBL Drizzy.”
“Let me apologize right quick. I sent out a picture the other day. The mistake I made was that I should’ve said, ‘Who did this?’ Because I want Drake to know…,” he began.
He added: “Listen, Drake has a great sense of humor, so I thought it was funny that they did it. I don’t want him to think — like, I saw ‘Shaq’s trolling.’ No, I’m not trolling.”
“Somebody Photoshopped it and I actually saw it and I took the picture,” he said, revealing he was not in fact the genius behind the image. “So, Drake, I apologize. I should have put ‘Who was this?’ on there, because I don’t want you to think I did that. Somebody sent it to me, I thought it was funny, and hopefully you thought it was funny, too. But once it went viral, I definitely took it down. But, so, my bad, big Drake.”
Shaq’s humorous attempt to lighten the mood comes on the heels of his latest album drop.
Last week, as part of his third studio album release for You Can’t Stop the Reign, the legendary baller revealed he would take fans on a trip down memory lane with the original version of Shaquille O’Neal‘s “No Love Lost,” featuring Jay-Z, Nas, and Lord Tariq.
In a 2022 appearance on Drink Champs, Shaq discussed the delayed release of the track, stating: “People didn’t clear it, but I didn’t take it personal – Me being in the studio with Nas, I’m happy. I get to call my boy and say, ‘Come over, Nas here.’ I get to call my boy and say, ‘Jay in here.’ I get to call my boys and say, ‘Yo, Biggie at the house, he ’bout to jump in the seat.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
You Can’t Stop the Reign is now available on digital streaming platforms.