Shaquille O’Neal’s Deflategate Scandal in the NBA That Didn’t Explode Like Tom Brady

Apart from being two of the best players in their sport, what else is common between Shaquille O’Neal and Tom Brady? The two sporting legends have been accused of deflating scandals.

While Brady’s Deflategate scandal made headlines around the world, Shaq’s case went unnoticed. Interestingly enough, O’Neal confessed to deflating the balls during championship games.

However, he proved that deflated balls do not offer any advantage to NBA players during the Inside the NBA show. Moreover, he gave his reasoning behind the deflating of basketballs.

Shaq reveals details behind Tom Brady like scandal

There is no denying Shaquille O’Neal and Tom Brady are two of the greatest players in their respective sports. While Shaq has 4 NBA rings to his name, Brady has a whopping 7 Super Bowl wins.

Lakers Kobe Bryant bumps chests with Shaquille O’Neal after O’Neal got fouled scoring in the first half during the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs at Staples Center Sunday, April 21, 2002. Trailblazer Damon Stoudamire looks on from the left. Lakers won 95–87. (Photo by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

However, the two were involved in an infamous scandal. The scandal revolves around the deflation of balls before the start of the game to give the player an advantage.

Although Brady’s deflate-gate scandal made headlines all around the world, Shaq’s role in a similar issue went under the radar.

Interestingly enough, Shaq revealed the reason behind his actions. Apparently, it is to get a better grip and not for cheating purposes. 

Shaquille O’Neal said, “Sometimes, in the games during all my championship runs, if a ball was too hard, I let air out. I’d have a needle. A friend of mine would have a needle and I would get the game ball.

He added, “I needed that extra grip, but I wasn’t doing that for cheating purposes. I just needed the extra grip for my hands so I could palm it, a la Michael Jordan, the way he used to palm it.“

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Interestingly enough, one of the greatest Quarter backs of all time, Tom Brady, faced the wrath of the media and the fans for similar reasons.

The New England Patriots hosted the Indianapolis Colts on January 18, 2015, when a bombshell was dropped after the game. The Colts accused Brady of asking the staff to deflate the balls used for the Patriots’ defense below the standard mark.

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Brady picked up a four-game suspension during the 2016 season and the team was fined $1 million and two draft picks. However, Tom Brady and the Patriots bounced back with a Super Bowl victory that season.

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