Shaquille O'Neal pops into a North Burnaby hookah lounge
Two NBA legends were recently in British Columbia, and they’ve enjoyed vastly different experiences.
While Steph Curry and his wife were kayaking through a remote part of the province, Shaquille O’Neal was immersed in a completely different vibe.
The former NBAer took over the Harbour Centre this weekend as DJ Diesel, as part of his summer tour. O’Neal was filmed bouncing around while a sweaty-looking crowd at the Harbour Centre jammed to his tracklist.
View this post on Instagram
So, how does a retired NBAer turned DJ chill out after a night of amping up Vancouverites?
By hanging out at a local hookah lounge, of course.
O’Neal left the downtown Vancouver venue and headed to Bula Hookah Lounge in North Burnaby after his show on Friday night.
View this post on Instagram
It was a return visit to the venue, as he was apparently there last year during a visit to the city.
The four-time NBA champion is a noted hookah enthusiast. Back in 2022, former NBAer Charles Barkley said that O’Neal likes to hang out at hookah bars as opposed to drinking alcohol. Barkley also revealed that O’Neal bought a hookah bar for his own relaxing leisure as well.
Earlier this year, O’Neal was spotted at a hookah bar just outside of Edmonton in Sherwood Park. That prompted him to give a hilarious response about the sighting.
“I must inform all the people who saw me out last night that was not me; that was an AI clone,” Shaq joked.
“You know how there’s Jack Hyman and Shaq Hyman? You people in Sherwood Park, that wasn’t really me. You’ve been fooled.”
O’Neal was really there to promote a new line of mattresses, branded as “Shaqopedic.”
The NBA legend likely hit the road after his hookah stop in Burnaby, as he had a scheduled DJ set in San Jose on Aug. 22.