Shaq Claps Back At Critics After "Tiger King" Appearance

Shaq is distancing himself from the legendary Joe Exotic following a cameo in Netflix's "Tiger King."

BYAlexander Cole
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Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year 2019

If you haven't seen Netflix's Tiger King yet, what are you doing? The documentary is centered around the eccentric Joe Exotic who owns his very own Tiger zoo in Oklahoma. The man gets wrapped up in a murder for hire plot that goes terribly wrong. That's all we will tell you for now as you should really go watch it. One of the more interesting parts of the documentary is when NBA legend Shaq arrives at the park and goes on a nice little tour of his own.

Ever since the airing of the documentary, there have been various animal rights people who have criticized Shaq for his appearance. They believe he shouldn't be associating with Joe Exotic and the fact he went on a tour of the zoo further reinforces bad behavior when it comes to animal welfare. Shaq made sure to address those critics on a recent episode of his podcast.

"I was just a visitor. I met this guy. Not my friend. Don’t know him. Never had any business dealings with him, and I had no idea any of that stuff was going on," Shaq said. "People that know me know that I'm righteous. I don't harm tigers. I lover tigers. We found out that he’s involved with all the stuff, and then, actually, I stopped going.”

Shaq went on to say that he enjoyed the documentary although people need to stop associating him with Exotic. Now that Shaq has set the record straight, we're sure the Carole Baskin's of the world will stop being mad at him.

[Via]


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About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. During this time, he has shown an expertise in Air Jordans, Yeezys, and all things that have to do with Nike. His favorite kicks are the Air Jordan 1 High OG, the Air Jordan 4, the Air Jordan 6, and the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in the "Beluga 2.0" colorway. Although his collection might not be the biggest, he is always looking to add new styles to it. When it comes to sports, Alex has a particular interest in the NBA and the NFL. His favorite teams are anywhere LeBron goes, and the Kansas City Chiefs. As a Montrealer, the Montreal Canadiens hold a special place in his heart, even if they haven't won the Stanley Cup in his lifetime. Alex also works for the Concordia Stingers, where he provides play-by-play and color commentary for the football, hockey, and basketball teams His favorite hip-hop artists are Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert.