NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal isn't usually one to pull any punches since becoming a studio analyst and pundit.
But there's one topic where he apparently isn't willing to criticize others: infidelity.
The Diesel passed on offering up his thoughts on the scandal involving suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka on the most recent episode of his podcast -- because he himself has admitted to philandering.
Asked to weigh in on Udoka, as well as the cheating scandal involving Maroon 5 front man and former "The Voice" host Adam Levine, Shaq said he would have to "step down" from the conversation.
"I was a serial cheater," O'Neal told co-hosts Nischelle Turner and Spice Adams on a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq. "It would be crazy and blasphemous for me to get up here and say 'Boom, boom, bam.' I can't do that. I know these guys personally. I know they're going through a lot, because I know I went through a lot.
"I just wish that certain parties weren't involved. I've known Nia Long for a long time -- I like her. I've known Adam for a long time. And they're going through a lot of family stuff. But I'm never the guy who's going to get up here because of my platform and fake it. I did it. I was the best at. I'm not proud of it. I lost my family doing it. I lost valuable, important years with my children from doing it. So I refuse to get up here, 'You shouldn't have done this, you shouldn't have done that.'"
O'Neal has previously taken the blame for the failure of his marriage to former wife and "Basketball Wives" creator Shaunie O'Neal, with whom he shares four children. They also raised a child from one of O'Neal's prior relationships.
On his podcast, Shaq said the times with his family before the breakup of his marriage were the "best days of my life," and he is still "all the way down" sometimes when he reflects on what he squandered.
"When I lost all that by being stupid, it killed me. So to answer your question, no, it's not worth it. I wish these two fellas the best. I wish they can come through, and I hope they don't lose their families over what was done. So, I'm not going to sit there and call these people out, because I did it, and Shaquille O'Neal is never one to be a hypocrite. ... "
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