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NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal shared a startling encounter with one of Mike Tyson’s exotic pets during the latest episode of The Big Podcast With Shaq, which featured the former heavyweight boxing champion as a guest.
O’Neal recalled visiting Tyson at his home before a fight, only to be unexpectedly confronted by one of Tyson’s famed tigers.
“Before his fight he says, ‘Hey, come to the house,’” O’Neal said. “So we come to his house, ring the bell, ding dong. I hear a ‘Come in.’ So I open the door, there is nobody in the lobby. So I want to make myself at home. I start walking, and a f—ing tiger comes running down the stairs. A real white tiger comes running down the stairs. So I turn around I’m trying to get to the thing.”
Tyson then entered the scene and wrestled the tiger to the ground, according to O’Neal.
“Then Mike came and he starts wrestling the tiger. I told my boy I said, ‘I’m not a gambling man but I wish I had a million dollars to put on this fight. I just seen this man stop a full grown tiger—he’s about to kill this dude.’”
Tyson, known for owning several tigers during the peak of his boxing career, confirmed the story.
“Oh yeah, I sleep with my tigers,” Tyson said when asked if he remembered the incident.
He elaborated on the level of dedication it took to keep such animals.
“You gotta be with them every day for like two years. When I travel, I bought an 18-wheeler so when I travel to another state or something, they had to come with me.”
Mike Tyson reveals history with exotic pets, shares cheetah plans in exchange with Shaquille O’Neal
When asked if he had ever been bitten, Tyson clarified it was not the tiger but another member of his exotic collection.
“The lion bit me, not the tiger,” he said.
O’Neal was then asked if he had ever considered owning a tiger himself.
“No,” he replied plainly.
Tyson chimed in with another reveal.
“I’m getting ready to get a cheetah, but I’m not going to let my wife know,” he said.
He also reflected on the bond between him and his animals, noting how their relationship changed over time.
“Well, at one time I held them and as they got older, they held me,” Tyson said.
Tyson’s history with exotic animals has been well documented, including the presence of his tigers in popular culture such as the 2009 film The Hangover. The boxer once famously paid $70,000 for a pair of Bengal tigers, maintaining them at his home during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The unexpected exchange between the two sports legends highlights not only Tyson’s eccentric lifestyle but also O’Neal’s enduring ability to turn near-chaotic moments into entertaining storytelling.
