Star sightings are pretty much synonymous with Los Angeles Lakers basketball games at this point. Spectators (and viewers at home) are bound to spot their favorite celebrities sitting courtside at a game. These encounters could leave any casual fan starstruck yet, in some cases, the same can also be said about the NBA players. Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal had that experience while netting multiple NBA champions during the late '90s and early '00s. There was one moment in particular that threw O’Neal off his game. He recalled the time Halle Berry showed up at an NBA game.
The idea of Shaquille O’Neal being starstruck by the actress isn't totally unusual. I mean, just about anyone would probably feel the same when seeing the Hollywood star in person. Though on the surface, it might seem strange given O’Neal’s own celebrity status. Still, he recently couldn’t help but recall the moment he saw Halle Berry in New York. The NBA commentator said about the time the Bruised star caught his eye:
My favorite moment in time, New York Madison Square Garden. I’m at the free-throw line, and I’m looking up the stairs. And it’s Halle Berry just walking down the stairs, my heart started fluttering. I gets nervous. I call a time-out. Coach says, ‘What are you doing?’ I was like ‘Shut up. Halle Berry’s here to watch me. Everybody, please, make sure I get the ball.’ Came out, and guess what? I actually made the free throw, and I was looking at Halle, I was like… [winked]. So, when I was younger, I used to stutter. She’s the only woman that makes my stuttering come back.
I don't know about all of you, but I think Shaquille O’Neal's reaction sounds incredibly relatable. Funny enough, his description of spotting the Oscar winner is reminiscent of a scene from a sports-themed romantic comedy. And the icing on the cake is the fact that he argued with his coach while in the process of trying to impress the Moonfall star. As the NBA legend pointed out, impressing the actress was so daunting, he started stuttering again. And who could blame him?
Of course, Halle Berry wasn’t the only star Shaquille O’Neal admired while playing for the LA Lakers. Listen to the NBA legend talk about what it was like having Hollywood A-listers as Laker fans by checking out his revealing chat on The Kelly Clarkson Show below:
All in all, being celebrity in his own right, Shaquille O’Neal is used to rubbing shoulders with stars. Still, it's nice to know that even a famous (and physically imposing) figure like Shaq can get flustered by the mere presence of Halle Berry. I'm sure the former athlete has a number of other great stories like these, and I'd personally love to hear a few more.
