Shaq Regrets Missing Party Where Biggie Was Shot: Would He Have Died If I Were There?

The death of Biggie Smalls weighs heavily on Shaquille O’Neals mind, even twenty years later. The NBA champ was supposed to be by Biggie's side the night he was killed and Shaq thinks that if he had been there, Biggie may be still alive today!

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March 9, 2017 12:25PM EST
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NOTORIOUS BIG FILE** The family of rapper Notorious B.I.G., shown clutching his awards at the Billboard Music Awards in New York,, has asked a Los Angeles judge for permission to expand their wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles. Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, was fatally shot in 1997 in a sport utility vehicle shortly after a party in Los AngelesNOTORIOUS BIG SUIT, NEW YORK, USA
NYC mayor Eric Adams honors the Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace for his 50th birthday on May 19, 2022 at NY City Hall Rotunda in New York City, USA. "Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 - March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie,[3] was an American rapper and songwriter. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap traditions, he is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace became known for his distinctive laid-back lyrical delivery, offsetting the lyrics' often grim content. His music was often semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality, but also of debauchery and celebration" -Wikipedia NYC Mayor Eric Adams Honors Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, New York, United States - 19 May 2022
Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire/Shutterstock (12947924b) Mayor Eric Adams along with Christopher Jordan Wallace and friends honor the lyrical genius Christopher Notorious B.I.G Wallace for his 50th birthday today at the New York City Hall. Biggie Smalls 50th Birthday at City Hall, New York, USA - 19 May 2022
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For Shaquille O’Neal, 45, it’ll always be a lingering question of “what if?” He was supposed to join Biggie Smalls and attend an after-party for the Soul Train Music Awards on March 9, 1997, but ended up sleeping through it, according to The Undefeated. As Shaq slumbered, Biggie was fatally shot just fifty yards away from where the party was held. “I don’t say I could’ve prevented it,” said Shaq, looking back on the fateful night. “I was just saying, if I was out there by the car, would they still have fired? That’s the only thing I would say to myself.”

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“I don’t wanna make it seem like I could’ve saved him,” Shaq added. “I don’t wanna make it seem like if I was there, the shooters wouldn’t have shot. If I was there by the truck, after we all left and I’m dapping him up, would they still have shot?”

Shaq actually bumped into Biggie near a tattoo parlor on Sunset Boulevard, just days before the rapper’s murder outside the Petersen Automotive Museum. Shaq, noting that Biggie was in LA just six months after Tupac Shakur was shot, told him to “be careful.” The Notorious B.I.G. didn’t seem too concerned. “Yeah, yeah,” Biggie said. “I’m good. But come to my party.”

The Shaq-Biggie connection was cemented on the 1994 track, “Gimmie The Loot,” where Biggie rapped “I’m slamming n****s / Like Shaquille.” Shaq has been forever grateful for the shout-out. “It just showed me that a lot of people appreciated what I was doing – just like I appreciated what [Biggie] was doing.”

The two would collaborate in 1996, when Biggie popped up to spit a verse on the title track to Shaq’s third rap album, You Can’t Stop The Reign. Biggie’s rhymes were so great, they were fit for a king, as Michael Jackson would reuse the verse on his song, “Unbreakable.” Wow. No wonder that some fans think that even two decades after his death, Biggie remains one of the most influential voices in the rap world.

What do you think about Shaq wondering if he could have saved Biggie’s life, HollywoodLifers?