An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Akon sits next to a woman in a mesh dress

SHAQUILLE O’Neal has broken his silence over dating rumors linking him to OnlyFans model Sophie Rain.

The rumors come after the NBA legend and Rain were spotted partying in Las Vegas last weekend.

Shaquille O'Neal being interviewed.
Shaquille O’Neal being interviewed during a Fanatics event this summerCredit: Getty

Akon and a young woman sitting in a nightclub, the woman holding a drink.
Rumors have circulated over a romance between the 53-year-old NBA legend and OnlyFans model Sophie Rain, 21,Credit: X – @sophierain
Rain, 21, shocked fans when she posted a photo of herself sitting on the lap of the 53-year-old Shaq.

In the photo, O’Neal was smiling while Rain posed in front of the Los Angeles Lakers legend and gave the camera the middle finger.

The pic snapped the adult content creator celebrating her birthday in Sin City.

But after the photo went viral, social media users quickly speculated that Shaquille and Rain were dating, which would certainly stun fans due to their 32-year age gap.

Even one user, influencer Noah Glenn Carter, posted a video on Instagram to his 312,000-plus followers about the rumors surrounding the pair.

During the video, Carter spoke about the massive age gap between O’Neal and Rain, saying it leaves a “little uncomfy feeling, especially when he’s a 53-year-old showing up to a 21-year-old’s birthday.”

However, Shaq didn’t wait long to respond to the comments and shut down the rumors.

“I don’t [date] that young but I will date your mom and give u a brother,” O’Neal stunningly replied to Carter.

The Inside the NBA star then added, “I was djing at encore beach club she came to my party dummy stop tryna create rumors don’t make me slap you dude.”

He also added, “Your mom is hot tell her to hit me on my sky tell pager.”
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Carter responded to Shaq through another video, saying, “Now Shaq, I really don’t want you to slap me because you would obliterate me.

“I’m not even gonna try and pretend like you wouldn’t.

“I apologize Shaq.

“I don’t want that smoke.”

Portrait of Sophie Rain, OnlyFans model, wearing a dark blue jumpsuit.
Rain recently went viral for revealing her eye-opening earnings on OnlyFansCredit: Jam Press/@sophieraiin
Carter also displayed a video of his mother cracking up laughing to O’Neal’s comment to her son.

Rain had also posted another video of herself alongside Shaq, who was DJing and performing throughout the night in Vegas.

She had gone viral earlier this year after revealing her massive earnings on OnlyFans.

Rain had posted a screenshot of her earnings to X, revealing that she had made $43 million in the last year.

O’Neal will have to get ready to work on Inside the NBA, which will be broadcast on ESPN for the first time in the 2025-26 season.