NBA great Shaquille O'Neil and Russian social media star Hasbulla Magomedov together on a boat in Sydney Harbour. Photo / via Instagram
NBA great Shaquille O'Neil and Russian social media star Hasbulla Magomedov together on a boat in Sydney Harbour. Photo / via Instagram
It's the meeting that almost broke the internet and it all happened on a yacht on Sydney Harbour.
On Saturday night a video emerged on social media showing NBA great Shaquille O'Neil and Russian social media star Hasbulla Magomedov together on a boat in Sydney Harbour.
What followed was a frosty start which flowered into a seemingly beautiful friendship.
The pair were in town on respective public engagements and while it's unclear why the pair linked up, the meeting sent the social media world into a tailspin.
One video posted to O'Neal's social media accounts from aboard the yacht shows Hasbulla playfully striking the three-time NBA MVP.
A subsequent post from O'Neal on Monday morning – after what was no doubt a busy week of social engagements for the pair – showed the two internet sensations asleep on a couch with the caption "tired boss".
The rendezvous sent social media into a tailspin with fans of the pair quick to hit like and retweet buttons.
Another Instagram post showed the two internet sensations asleep on a couch with the caption 'tired boss'. Photo / via Instagram
O'Neal's jam packed visit saw the basketball superstar visit Melbourne for the sold-out fan experience 'An Evening with Shaquille O'Neal' at Melbourne's Margaret Court and DJ gigs late last week before he headed to Sydney for the second stop of the touring event.
He even found the time to briefly meet with Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to promote the Australian government's Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.
Likewise, Hasbulla was also in Australia for his 'Hasbulla Visits Down Under' tour which has events in Sydney and Melbourne between August 29 and September 1.
The 19-year-old Russian blogger – who was born with the rare Growth Hormone Deficiency condition – rose to social media superstardom in late 2020 largely thanks to fight training and prank videos.
The young star quickly amassed a high profile following from sports stars around the world with billions the world over now having engaged with his content online.
More recently Hasbulla has delved into the lucrative world of crypto trading with a collection of 10,000 unique NFTs on the Ethereum Blockchain called Crypto Hasbulla.
Shaq's whirlwind tour ended on Sunday night with the occasion marked by an Instagram post of O'Neal wearing a Crocodile Dundee inspired hat.
