Shaquille O'Neal has long been known for his playful nature and sense of humor, from his playing days with the Los Angeles Lakers up until his ascension as an NBA analyst on TNT.

But in a rare show of vulnerability, the Hall of Famer opened up about one of his biggest regrets in like – his divorce with his ex-wife Shaunie. The couple married in 2002 right when Shaq was at the height of his basketball career during the Lakers three-peat run.

In an emotional sit-down on The Pivot, Shaq bared his emotions on his mistakes off the court with his ex-wife even as his NBA career was in full swing.

“She was awesome. It was all me. We don't need to talk about what I was doing, but I wasn't protecting her and protecting those vows. Sometimes when you living that double life, you get caught up. I'm not going to say it's on her. It's on me.

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“She did exactly what she was supposed to do,” the Lakers icon continued. “She gave me beautiful kids. Taking care of the house, taking care of the corporate stuff. It was just on me. Sometimes when you make a lot of mistakes like that, you can't really come back from that. But as I get older and dwell on those situations, I can honestly say it was on me.”

The couple reportedly separated in 2007 and eventually filed for divorce in 2009. It was finalized in 2011. But Shaq clearly feels remorse for how the entire situation went down.

“I had the perfect situation,” the former Lakers center continued. “My wife was finer than a mug. Kept giving me babies, still finer than a mug. I had it all. I don't make excuses. I know I messed up and when I didn't have that, I don't like to use the d-word, we already know what it is. But I was lost. 76,000 square foot house by yourself. Lost. No kids. Go to the gym, nobody's playing in the gym. Go to their room, nobody's there. You start to feel it.”

Shaquille O'Neal admits full responsibility for things falling apart, but also shared how he used his mistakes to fuel his desire to continue to provide and be a loving father to his family.