Larger-than-life NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has purchased his first private jet, a $27 million Bombardier Challenger 650. O’Neal has spent years renting jets and now has a personalized private jet of his own, complete with the iconic “Dunkman” logo on the tail.
A video of the seven-foot-one star reacting to the jet was posted on Instagram, revealing the luxurious interior and custom tail design. Commenters talk about the design and interior but many raised a fair point about how the massive O’Neal, standing over seven feet tall and weighing over 300 lbs, would fit in a jet. In an interview with JetSet Magazine in 2010, O’Neal talked about his experience flying commercial and private, stating he did fit in a first-class seat. When asked if he would ever own his own, he told JetSet Magazine no.
“There’s too much maintenance,” O’Neal said to JetSet Magazine. “If I own something, I like to know what is going on. I don’t want to get screwed in a bad deal. I’ve seen it happen to other guys.”
In the over 13 years since the interview, O’Neal seems to have changed his mind. His first jet might just make up for the decades of going without. His new Challenger 650 has a bright white exterior with light beige leather seats and gorgeous wood paneling. The 650 has the widest-in-class cabin and larger seats, giving O’Neal room to move about and maybe even stretch his legs. The jet has very low direct operating costs, long maintenance intervals and great fuel efficiency.
According to The Sports Rush, O’Neal has been in hot water before for a “fake jet” he had uploaded on Twitter. O’Neal was publicly called out by his ex-wife for posting a picture of a private jet with her name and face on the tail of the plane. The photo turned out to be the result of O’Neal playing around in Photoshop, not a real purchase or gift to his soon-to-be ex.
Now, O’Neal can rest easy in his very own private jet. This time, there was no Photoshop involved.
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