- Shaquille O'Neal says he threw his gold medal out of a car window after winning the 1996 Olympics
- The Hall of Famer admitted on the latest episode of his podcast that he was upset about his playing time in the Atlanta Olympic gold medal game.
- These days, O'Neal focuses her energy on giving charity to people she doesn't know.
In 1996, somewhere on a freeway near Atlanta, Shaquille O'Neal threw his Olympic gold medal out the window of a car.
Nearly 30 years later, the Hall of Famer recalled the frustrating experience that led to the unexpected disappearance of his medal during a competition. Shaq's Big Podcast With co-host Adam Lefkow.
“The '96 Olympics I played in helped them come back and win games,” said O'Neal, 52. “And in the gold medal match, [coach] Lenny Wilkens said, “This is probably David Robinson's last game, so he will be given more playing time.” I said, “Cool.” ”
O'Neill continued. “But he didn't play with me at all until about the last two minutes. I was so angry that after the ceremony, I drove home in my uniform and stuck the medal out the window on Interstate 75. I threw it away.”
Five players from the 1992 Olympic gold medal winning team, known as Dream Team III, competed at the 1996 Atlanta Games, including Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton and Robinson.
This was O'Neal's first and only appearance on the Olympic team.
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And while the former Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers star admitted he kept the jersey, he told Lefkow that he didn't believe the medal was ever found.
“This is how I went [O’Neal motions as if he is ripping the medal off his neck] And I threw it out the window,” he said. “I was very angry.”
In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, the icon admitted that anger management has been a lifelong problem.
“After a bad game, especially if it was my fault and I missed a free throw, I would go crazy,” he said at the time. “I'm going to destroy the house. I was the Hulk.”
But as DJ Diesel evolved, he learned to flip the narrative forever, he tells PEOPLE.
O'Neal now enjoys frequent “guerrilla-style” ambushes, buying gifts for strangers at big-box stores.
“First of all, it's the right thing to do. That's what I was taught,” he explained. “And two, it could be me. It was my parents and I at the time. My parents were trying to give me things they couldn't afford. I now have a lot of money. have.”
“And I know what kids like, because I'm a kid,” he added.
