Shaunie O'Neal Talks Friendship With Shaquille O'Neal
Shaunie O'Neal, the ex-wife of NBA star-turned-correspondent Shaquille O'Neal and producer of VH1's reality show "Basketball Wives," recently revealed that she and her husband are better friends these days.
The O'Neals divorced in 2010 after eight years of marriage. Although the 7'1" ball player has publicly admitted to being unfaithful to Shaunie, she revealed that the pair is in a good place.
She admitted that the pair who share children together still spend time with one another.
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"We've put it all away. We still have fun," O'Neal told Access Hollywood recently. "We were at my mom's the other day having a round of free throws. We have a great time... I think we're actually better friends now."
The former NBA champion detailed his unfaithful ways in his 2011 book, Shaq Uncut: My Story. In the book, he detailed what went wrong with his previous marriage.
"At one time my ex-wife Shaunie and I were happy, but I admit it - I was a guy. I was a guy with too many options," he wrote. "Choosing to be with some of those women, well, that's on me. In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but obviously I shouldn't have done it all."
Still O'Neal said he was working on changing the way he approaches relationships.
"You know as well as I do relationships are about maintaining ... It wasn't the big stuff, it was the small stuff, and that's my fault. I had things to do," he wrote. "I was trying to win, trying to make some money. I admit I wasn't the best partner. I just didn't know how. I'm learning now."
Shaunie said that although she would never date another professional athlete, she does not want to stereotype all men who choose to pursue sports.
"I'm not going to put them all in a box and say they all cheat. There are some good guys and I have met some good guys that play basketball," she told "Access Hollywood." "It's hard, though."
O'Neal's show "Basketball Wives" will make its fifth season premiere on VH1 Aug 19 at 8 p.m. ET.
