Kevin Hart and Shaquille O'Neal are quite the entertaining pair. Their unbelievably massive height difference has given birth to some of the most timeless memes on the internet. Throughout the years, they've appeared together in Comedy Central Roast, several sports events, and special features of their dynamic duo — one was a 2014 People editorial spread where the two replicated the 1988 movie poster for Twins starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, another quirky bromance match.
It highlighted the effortless, comedic chemistry of the Jumanji star and the four-time NBA champion. Hart's wacky personality definitely cracks Shaq's more calm and collected manner — like a prankish son torturing his father. Recently, the two did an Instagram Live, where they candidly shared life updates that had their fans laughing and wondering how close they really are. Here's the story of their friendship.
How Kevin Hart And Shaquille O'Neal Became Friends
Kevin Hart and Shaquille O'Neal have made numerous public appearances together that it's hard to trace where their friendship really began. But their paths first crossed in 2009 when Cedric the Entertainer and Shaq presented a stand-up TV special called All Star Comedy Jam. They featured the most sought-after comedians at that time including Kevin Hart. It was a star-studded event with the likes of Ashanti, Nelly, and Katt Williams in the audience.
Hart was the final headliner of the show. It was one of his major exposures that helped launched his career into the world of comedy and now, acting as well. The event didn't show a close interaction between him and Shaq but word is they immediately developed a friendship back then. In 2011, they dropped by The Jay Leno Show where they posed for an iconic behind-the-scene photo — Hart, 5'4", looking like a tiny human standing next to Shaq who is 7'1".
In 2013, a similar photo of them surfaced online. It was taken at The Beverly Hilton Hotel where they both attended the 13th Annual Harold And Carole Pump Foundation Gala honoring Jamie Foxx, Joe Torre, and Shaq himself. The picture instantly became a hit meme. To this day, people still find plenty of jokes and purpose for it, immortalizing that image of the comic duo in our heads.
Shaq's Got Kevin Hart's Back When It Comes To Bashers
In 2019, Kevin Hart received backlash for tweets he made from 2009 to 2011. Fans had dug up some homophobic stand-up bits. One described how he'd react if he found out his kid was gay — "Yo if my son comes home & try's 2 play with my daughters doll house I'm going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice 'stop that's gay,'" the Central Intelligence star tweeted in 2009. The controversy sparked after Hart was named the host of the 2019 Academy Awards. He stepped down from the gig and followed up with continuous apologies.
The Inside the NBA analyst didn't hesitate to express his strong opinions against Hart's bashers. "Some people feel he made a mistake," Shaq told TMZ, "He apologized for his mistake. I always thought comedians were allowed to crack jokes. Anyone that knows Kevin Hart should know that anything he said was never malicious." The recently sworn-in honorary deputy also said that the Fatherhood star didn't have to keep apologizing for his past mistakes. "He shouldn't have to keep apologizing. He apologized twice. People should just move on. Everyone makes mistakes," he added. We all need a friend like Shaq.
Shaq Made Kevin Hart's Son Cry (And It's Okay)
During a recent Instagram live, Shaq and Hart had a hilarious catch-up from their homes. As usual, they did roast each other a lot while exchanging current life updates. The former basketball player even gave the Get Hard star a view of his seemingly dead foot. After that disgusting flash, Shaq asked Hart to tell his kids he said hi. "You're a giant, they hear you," the Ride Along actor responded. Shaq then said that he wanted the kids to see his face.
"That'll scare him," Hart said, refusing to invite his youngest son, three-year-old Kenzo Kash over to the phone. Shaq was confident that he wouldn't scare the boy. "I bet you a thousand dollars... he gon' smile," he said. Hart went on to get Kenzo in front of the camera and at first, the kid looked cheerful repeatedly exchanging hi's with his dad's giant friend. But after a few seconds, he began pulling a sour face that led to crying. Hart asked his kid if he found Shaq scary to which his son answered, "yeah." What an epic story for Kenzo to tell his friends someday.