The incident, which took place over the weekend, has since gone viral, with bystanders recounting the surreal encounter between one of basketball’s greatest icons and a politician who apparently wasn’t ready for Shaq’s brand of “no-nonsense hospitality.” According to eyewitnesses, it all started innocently enough—Walz strolled into Big Chicken looking for a quick bite after a long day of campaigning. What he didn’t expect was to be served up more than just a fried chicken sandwich.
As the story goes, Walz entered the restaurant, perhaps under the illusion that his status as a vice-presidential nominee might earn him some VIP treatment—or at least a friendly handshake from Shaq, the restaurant’s towering owner. But instead, he received something far less flattering: a one-way ticket to humiliation town, courtesy of Shaq’s larger-than-life personality.
“Tim Walz walked in here like he was somebody,” Shaq reportedly said to employees afterward, shaking his head. “I don’t know if he thought I’d roll out the red carpet or something, but I just couldn’t do it. The man’s been nothing but a disappointment lately.”
