Shaquille O'Neal was scared for his own daughters after hearing terrible news about Shaq Barrett - "It hit me hard"

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal recently spoke about the unfortunate tragedy that befell Tampa Bay Buccanneers linebacker Shaq Barrett. While considering the horrible events that took place, Shaq also highlighted the fear he felt when he heard the news.

Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett and his family were dealt some tragic news on Sunday when Barrett's two-year-old daughter, Arrayah, passed away. Reports suggest that the two-year-old drowned at Barrett's Tampa Bay residence and was pronounced dead at a local hospital despite lifesaving measures.

The unfortunate news was also a topic of discussion in a recent episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq". Co-host Anthony Adams was the first to bring up the incident. As the hosts of the podcast each offered condolences to Barrett and his family, O'Neal shared his own experience with the story. He said:

"It hit me hard yesterday because you know I got the Google Alerts, so anything 'Shaquille', it pops up. So I'm getting one on my phone that says 'Shaquill daughter dies in pool.' So I'm like - I'm taught not to panic first and I'm like, what?"

"You get no calls, you get no texts and then i opened it up and was like, 'Damn.' I immediately jumped in his DM and told him I was sorry for his loss. I can't imagine that one, brother."

Watch O'Neal's full comments here: (from 18:42-19:12)

O'Neal, a father himself, naturally sympathized with Barrett. However, he also mentioned that he couldn't begin to fathom how it felt to lose a child.

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Taking a closer look at Shaquille O'Neal's family

Shaquille O'Neal has six children in total. With his ex-wife Shaunie O'Neal, he fathers four kids - Shareef, Shaqir, Amirah and Me'arah. He also has a stepson named Myles, who is a child from Shaunie's previous relationship. O'Neal also had a child named Taahirah with ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardborough.

Of O'Neal's children, Shareef is the one who has received the most attention due to his own basketball career. Having played for his father's alma mater LSU and briefly with the LA Lakers in the Summer League, Shareef showed a lot to be impressed by. Unfortunately, he didn't make the cut for the team.

Meanwhile, Shaq's oldest, Taahirah, worked as a communications assistant at PepsiCo after graduating magna cum laude from Oglethorpe University.

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