Treat yourself! Shaquille O’Neal may not be hitting the basketball court on a daily basis anymore, but that doesn’t mean the athlete can’t indulge in a sweet treat every now and again.
In fact, the professional basketball player, 47, told Us Weekly exclusively on January 6 that he’s all about his cheat meals. Well, sort of. “I don’t have a cheat meal because I’m already sexy so I can eat what I want to eat, as you can see,” he said sarcastically with a smile.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star is currently Krispy Kreme’s “resolution coach,” so it’s no surprise that one of his go-to cheat meals is a glazed doughnut from the popular chain. O’Neal is a fan of Lemon Twist Oreos and Frosted Flakes as well.
Also making the cut for the restaurateur, who owns a Big Chicken in Las Vegas and a Krispy Kreme in Atlanta, is Sierra Mist and a “thamich,” which is what he calls a sandwich with turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomato.
However, while traditional Krispy Kreme doughnuts might fall into the cheat meal category, the brand’s new mini doughnuts are a not-so-guilty pleasure. Each of the four different mini treats — original glazed, chocolate iced glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles and strawberry iced with sprinkles — contain less than 100 calories a piece, and O’Neal approves.
“It’s 2020, everyone has their resolution, but studies show that by the end of January people get rid of their resolutions,” he told Us, adding, “The best way to handle your resolutions is to cheat.”
The Olympic gold medal winner, who retired from the NBA in 2011, acknowledged that many people make resolutions related to “feeling good about yourself,” “diet” and “health,” which is why he praised the Krispy Kreme minis for their relatively low calorie counts,.
“If you eat a couple of these and cheat, the question you need to ask yourself is: If I don’t cheat all the way, am I really cheating?” he joked. “Therefore you can continue with your resolution.”
Doughnuts and other sweet treats aside, the TNT sports analyst, who revealed he hasn’t played basketball in about “six or seven years,” has big fitness goals in mind before he turns 50 in 2022. “Before 50 I want to take my shirt off for Instagram one time to see how many likes I get.”
“I want to be [shredded],” the athlete added, noting he’s already hitting the gym with a former bodybuilder. “I got 720 days to be perfect. I just want to rip it off one last time for Instagram.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
