NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal opened up about the struggles of dating as a superstar when he appeared on the Full Send Podcast on Wednesday. The NBA Hall-of-Famer said he has been facing challenges while embarking on the dating scene after his divorce. Part of the problem, Shaq said, is that women on dating apps don't believe it's actually him.

“I tried to get on Tinder, but they didn’t believe it was me,” Shaq said on the podcast. “When it first came out, I got on and was like, ‘hey meet me at this place.’”

The women, however, would immediately turn away, saying  “I don’t know you, you’re not Shaq!”

Instead of Tinder, Shaq said he is now using Instagram, which he describes as “the best way to meet girls.”

“Instagram is the best dating app," the Los Angeles Lakers legend said. "It’s free. I heard my good friend Gary V say that a long time ago: ‘People out there paying money for these dating apps, Instagram and TikTok the best way to meet girls.'”

When asked how he felt comfortable trusting in some of the women he'd meet during his playing days, Shaq said nothing can go wrong "if you treat people with honor and respect." He added that he always chooses who he wants to date, as opposed to letting others choose him. 

The superstar athlete was also asked to name the cities with the most attractive women. He named Dallas, Miami, Toronto, Los Angeles and New York in his response.

Reflecting on his past relationships, the NBA All-Star expressed regret for fumbling with his first girlfriend. 

"And I was an idiot," the star said. "My first girlfriend, my girl's mother, she was perfect I messed that up. And Miles' mother Shawna, I messed that up. I was more of an idiot than I was a true man. "

The 49-year-old touched on a number of other topics during the podcast. In regards to handling the challenge of being recognized in public, Shaq said he doesn't often get bothered when people ask for a photo or interact with him. 

Although he doesn't like to be approached while he's eating in public, the retired athlete said he allows children to take photos with him at any time.

"It costs you nothing to be nice. If you're nice to me, I'm going to be nice to you," he said. 

Shaq, who retired from the league 12 years ago, said he is amazed that children recognize him.

"I'm honored and blessed that people still know me 12 years after playing," he said.