Travis Kelce Gets Real On Shaquille O'Neal Giving Him The 'Black Kelce' Nickname 1 Travis Kelce and Shaquille O’Neal. Photo credits: Imagn

Travis Kelce Gets Real On Shaquille O’Neal Giving Him The ‘Black Kelce’ Nickname

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Dan Agulto | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 12:07 PM ET

NFL star Travis Kelce just got a major nod from an NBA legend. During a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, Shaquille O’Neal told Travis and Jason Kelce that he once dubbed himself the “Black Kelce.”

The hilarious reveal came after Jason brought up a comment Shaq made during a previous Inside the NFL segment, where he said if he played football, he’d go by that name.

“You were on Inside the NFL, and you said if you played in the NFL, you would be known as Black Kelce,” Jason remarked.

Shaq didn’t hesitate to back it up, diving into his football background:

“A lot of people don’t know this — when I was coming up, football was my sport. I was football all the way, and I was really good,” Shaq said. “I used to tell people, Too Tall Jones was my father. And I played nose guard on defense and tight end on offense.”

Unfortunately, his football dreams were cut short after a knee injury sidelined him for eight weeks. Shaq said his father then encouraged him to switch sports — a decision that led to his Hall of Fame basketball career.

Shaq Fanboys Over Travis Kelce’s Girlfriend, Taylor Swift

Things got even more entertaining when the trio pivoted to music. While discussing their playlists, Shaq admitted he’s a big fan of Taylor Swift, who happens to be Travis Kelce’s girlfriend.

O’Neal revealed that his favorite Swift song is the 2012 hit “I Knew You Were Trouble.” He even played it during the podcast, calling it his go-to track from the global pop icon.

Travis Kelce Gets Real On Shaquille O'Neal Giving Him The 'Black Kelce' Nickname 2 Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Recording artist Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) react after the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Travis Kelce chimed in to praise Taylor’s recent milestone:

“Shout out to Taytay … just got that song back too. She bought all her music back so it’s finally hers,” he said.

Shaquille O’Neal holds up the sign of the horns during a DJ performance ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Friday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas.

In 2019, Swift’s master recordings were sold without her approval to Scooter Braun. After a public fallout, she began re-recording her albums. On May 30, 2025, it was announced that Swift officially owns the rights to all her master recordings.

Travis Kelce Gets Real On Shaquille O'Neal Giving Him The 'Black Kelce' Nickname 4 Taylor Swift performers during the first night of the Cincinnati stop of the Eras Tour at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 30, 2023. Photo credits: Imagn images

Between being called the “Black Kelce” and fanboying over Taylor Swift, Shaq had the internet buzzing — and proved once again why he’s one of the most entertaining voices in sports.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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