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As a professional basketball player for nearly 20 years, Shaquille O’Neal had to stick to a certain diet. At 7′ 1″ the former center was already pretty massive, even for an NBA player. However, now that he no longer has to adhere to a particular diet or exercise routine in his retirement, O’Neal has been open about being more flexible with what he eats.

Though he used to implement cheat meals into his diet when he was still in the NBA, especially when it came to his love for donuts, the former Miami Heat player‘s fascination with Krispy Kremes has only exploded in the best way.

Shaquille O’Neal has a major sweet tooth

These days, O’Neal is no longer trying to maintain the physique of a professional athlete. In fact, some sports analysts have estimated that the 48-year-old has put on at least 100 pounds since his retirement.

He seems thrilled that the restrictions on his eating have been lifted.  “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 joked with US Weekly. Since O’Neal has been an ambassador for Krispy Kreme since 2016, we can see why he’s not obsessing over having a “perfect” diet. He’s also a fan of Lemon Twist Oreos, Sierra Mist soda, and Frosted Flakes cereal. His favorite sandwich is something he calls a “thamich,” which is essentially a sandwich made of turkey, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

However, the New Jersey native does have big plans for his 50th birthday. “Before 50 I want to take my shirt off for Instagram one time to see how many likes I get,” he quipped. “I want to be [shredded]. I got 720 days to be perfect. I just want to rip it off one last time for Instagram.”

Shaquille O’Neal’s obsession with Krispy Kremes has been documented for years

O’Neal has been in love with Krispy Kremes glazed donuts for years. Back in 2009 when he was still playing in the NBA, he filmed himself tearing into a box of a dozen glazed donuts with Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” playing in the background. The video immediately went viral.

Back in 2012, while hosting TNT’s Inside the NBA, he picked up his iPhone and asked Siri to order his friend Charles Barkley, two boxes of the delicious treats. In 2016, his dream came true when he joined the Krispy Kreme family as a global ambassador.

Shaquille O’Neal brought a Krispy Kremes donut shop

O’Neal’s love of Krispy Kremes went well beyond being an ambassador. At the beginning of the year, the NBA alum promoted the companies newest sweets — mini doughnuts. To make those on stricter diets feel less guilty about breaking their diet, Krispy Kreme introduced four new donuts with less than 100 calories each. The flavors include original glazed, chocolate iced glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles and strawberry iced with sprinkles 

Also, O’Neal also bought a Krispy Kreme donut shop located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s one of the company’s most iconic locations since it’s been around for over 60 years.

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