Rejected by NBA Wives, Shaq’s Ex-Spouse Shaunie Was Solely Embraced by Cookie Johnson and 4x Champ’s Partner

Shaunie Henderson resides the lifetime of the primary woman of a church and made Basketball Wives stand out from the previous notion of the NBA WAGs. Now, via her memoir, Undefeated, she dispels the dazzling facade of the WAG life. Earlier than she married Shaquille O’Neal in 2002, she was seen as the underside of the meals chain by the married Lakers ladies. At the moment, the perfect validation got here from the wives of Shaq’s mentors. O’Neal had a friendship with Magic Johnson since he declared for the NBA draft. And John Salley arrived in LA in 1999. It could be their wives who gave Shaunie Nelson a secure area.

Talking about being shunned by the wives’ circle of Lakers gamers, Shaunie wrote, “John Salley’s wife, Tasha, was an exception; she was welcoming and warm to me from the beginning, but that’s just her personality.” The MVP, although, was the spouse of 3x MVP, Magic Johnson.

“Cookie Johnson, Magic’s wife, was also very sweet to me when I was a girlfriend. She knew how the other wives were treating me, so she would pull me to the side sometimes and show me extra love. I was nobody to her, and she didn’t have to do it, but she did. Cookie is a class act.”

Because the story goes, Cookie and Magic met once they have been finding out at Michigan State. She was with him within the ’80s Showtime period when Magic rose to nationwide fame. They married in 1991 and solely two months after their marriage ceremony, Magic revealed his HIV prognosis and retired from the NBA in his prime. Like Shaunie, Cookie had endured a troublesome time on the outskirts of Magic’s highlight. They broke up and reconciled a number of occasions earlier than they married. Earlier than his prognosis, Magic’s reported infidelity was a serious sore level of their relationship.

A yr into retirement, Magic mentored rookie Shaq, although he was taking part in in Orlando. In 1994, Magic entered the Lakers possession group and two years later, O’Neal got here to LA. He’d meet movie promoter Shaunie then they usually’d welcome two youngsters earlier than they married in 2002. Throughout that point, Shaunie had a troublesome time the place ‘veteran’ WAGs have been a supply of consolation.

Shaunie saved her mates shut

Shaunie revealed in her e-book that NBA WAGS shunned her at video games until she married Shaq. “These wives had seen so many young women come and go that they figured any new girl who didn’t have a ring on her finger would be gone in the next twenty-four hours. Why bother getting to know her or investing in her?” she wrote.

Magic was a co-owner with the Lakers when he mentored Shaq. John Salley got here off three championships and an abroad season to hitch the Lakers in 1999. O’Neal credit Magic and Salley for ‘taming’ him to maintain him championship-focused. Their wives, Cookie and Natasha Duffy helped Shaunie alter behind the scenes.

It’s our loss that we don’t see these three women collectively extra usually. However when Shaunie created Basketball Wives as a platform for her mates, no matter their relationship standing with NBA gamers, she introduced John Salley to host the reunion specials. Solely Shaunie would rely on Tasha’s husband to mediate a combat between Evelyn and Jen.

Keep tuned for extra such updates, and to comply with what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say concerning the notorious Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and extra, watch this video.