Shaquille O’Neal is a man of faith. Although he’s not the type to go around reciting Bible verses, the former NBA star must believe in a higher power as he decided to go against the odds, rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
With Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley leading the way, the Eagles crushed the dreams of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the entire Chiefs Kingdom, preventing them from achieving an unprecedented three-peat. Bettors and analysts favored Kansas City in a close game, but Philadelphia proved everyone wrong by decimating their rivals.
Even hours before the game, the Chiefs were favored by 1.5 points, and a -120 moneyline to the Eagles’ +100. Still, O’Neal took a leap of faith, publicly showing his support for head coach Nick Sirianni’s team, and it paid off.
A team on a mission
On “The Big Podcast with Shaquille O’Neal,” the former Los Angeles Lakers star made his support for theEaglesclear, saying, “Saquon Barkley is on a mission. Jalen Hurts, my fraternity brother, is on a mission. The Philadelphia Eagles are on a mission.”
Now, Shaq is famous for a number of things, and one of them is his poor luck at betting. Time and again, the Big Fella ends up on the wrong side of the scoreboard when he decides to bet on a team, and the entire Internet buries him in mockery for his wrong predictions.
However, his faith was answered this time. The Eagles’ defense overpowered Mahomes, and Hurts tore apart the Chiefs’ defense, leading to a 40-22 rout that gave the team its second Vince Lombardi Trophy in history.
Shaq and Saquon
O’Neal had special faith in Saquon Barkley. Big Aristotle recalled the running back’s departure from the New York Giants, saying, “You don’t disrespect people from Philly, from New York, from New Jersey, from Florida. Saquon felt disrespected in Jersey.”
Barkley’s unceremonious departure from the Giants was part of his motivation to lead his new team to the championship. “Guys like him, they’ve been waiting for this moment their whole life,” Shaq said, and he was right.
Although Barkley had a modest performance in the Super Bowl, with 57 yards on 25 carries and 40 yards on six catches without a touchdown, he knew how to respond in the important moments. The running back went down in history along with the Eagles, to the delight of Shaq and all the green and white fans.
