Shaquille O'Neal Says His Flat-Earth Comments Are 'Just a Theory' While Questioning If Earth Spins
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Shaquille O'Neal is standing by his questions if the Earth is actually round.
During an appearance on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Tuesday, the former NBA star, 50, was asked if he still believed his controversial flat earth comments in 2017.
"It's a theory," O'Neal told co-hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson. "It's just a theory, they teach us a lot of things."
The athlete further explained his thoughts, using his recent flight from the U.S. to Australia as an example. "I flew 20 hours today, not once did I go this way," he said, gesturing his arm diagonally. "I flew straight."
He went on to note that he "didn't tip over" or "go upside down" during the flight.
Sandilands then asked how someone could travel to the other side of the world in different directions. "It's still a straight line," O'Neal replied, "you don't go under."
"It's just a theory," he said again. "It's a conspiracy theory."
Also in the interview, O'Neal shared his doubts on if the Earth actually spins.
"You know they say the world is spinning? I've been living on a house on a lake for 30 years, not once did the lake rotate to the left or right," he told the hosts.
"If we're spinning so fast, why are we dizzy?" Sandilands responded. "I don't get that either."
O'Neal agreed. "I like listening to theories," he said. "It's not about figuring them out, or he's wrong or he's right — it's just a theory."
Of course, scientists would argue otherwise, researchers long determining that the Earth is round and that it rotates in the solar system around the Sun. According to News Scientist, the Earth spins at around 1037 miles per hour (ca. 1,670 km/h).
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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Shaquille O'Neal
But this is not the first time O'Neal has mentioned his flat-earth theories. In 2017, while chatting with co-host John Kincade on The Big Podcast With Shaq, the Hall of Famer said, "It's true. The Earth is flat."
"Listen, there are three ways to manipulate the mind — what you read, what you see and what you hear," he continued, via Bleacher Report. "In school, first thing they teach us is, 'Oh, Columbus discovered America,' but when he got there, there were some fair-skinned people with the long hair smoking on the peace pipes. So, what does that tell you? Columbus didn't discover America."
He added, "I drive from coast to coast, and this s--- is flat to me. I'm just saying. I drive from Florida to California all the time, and it's flat to me. I do not go up and down at a 360-degree angle, and all that stuff about gravity, have you looked outside Atlanta lately and seen all these buildings? You mean to tell me that China is under us? China is under us? It's not. The world is flat."
The 15-time All-Star then called satellite imagery "drawn and made up," the outlet reported.
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Since then, O'Neal took back his comments, saying during a March 2017 appearance on Jordan Harbinger's podcast The Art of Charm that he was only kidding.
"The Earth is flat," he said, The Washington Post reported. "Would you like to hear my theory? The first part of the theory is, I'm joking, you idiots."
He continued, "So know that when Shaquille O'Neal says something, 80 percent of the time I'm being humorous, and it is a joke. And 20 percent of the time, I'm being serious. But when I'm being serious, you'll know."
