Shaq Insists to Jimmy Kimmel He Saw a Flying Saucer in 1997: ‘I Know That it Was a UFO, I Don’t Care What Anybody Says’

With the government no longer ignoring UFO sightings, Shaquille O’Neal is finally ready to admit he not only believes in them, but he witnessed one himself a quarter-century ago.

The man who calls himself “The Big Aristotle” spoke with Jimmy Kimmel Monday night on ABC, and said “I totally believe in UFOs,” joking that his Inside the NBA co-star Charles Barkley looks like an alien. But Shaq furthered his proof of UFOs, by detailing his own sighting of an unidentified flying object.

It happened in 1997, when Shaq and three other people were on their way home from Hollywood Video in Madera, California. “By this big open lot, I could have sworn I saw a flying saucer come down with all the lights and it was spinning…and it just took off.”

The NBA Hall-of-Famer said the sighting lasted about 5-seconds. “I know that it was a UFO, I don’t care what anybody says.”

Acknowledging this was the first time he told this story, Shaq told Kimmel he never wanted people to think he was crazy. “But since I know you’re crazy and believe in UFOs, now it’s time to let the world know that Shaq believes in UFOs,” O’Neal added.

The Big Aristotle then posed a question to Kimmel that might have negated some of his UFO credibility. “When I look up at nighttime, I can see the moon,” Shaq said of the earth’s natural satellite which sits 238,900 miles away. “How come when I stand outside my yard, I can’t see California and it’s only 3,000 miles away?” Shaq asked with a straight face.

Kimmel initiated the UFO conversation with Shaq in response to a viral report from 60 Minutes Sunday night, which discussed UFOs and government acknowledgement of their existence.

Watch above via ABC

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