After years of flying in private planes on the cheap, the NBA legend spent $27 million on a Bombardier Challenger 650.

The exterior of the private plane is white, but the interior is sumptuous, with cream leather seats and wood accents.

It can transport 12 passengers and has a range of 4,000 nautical miles. The airplane’s tail has been modified to include Shaq’s Dunkman insignia.

In a 2010 interview, O’Neal expressed doubt that he would ever own his own private plane.

That is not what I am hearing. He complained to Jetset magazine about the amount of upkeep required.

I want to keep track of everything I’ve spent money on.

I don’t want to be taken advantage of in a horrible situation. I know it’s happened to other guys previously.

Despite having an estimated $400 million net worth, O’Neal stated that he was not interested in owning a private plane to impress his fellow athletes with his money.

Yes, he confirmed, “some guys do.”

But I don’t act like that. I’m a regular guy like you.

Fans of the 340-pound, seven-foot-one basketball legend have raised concern that the seats aboard O’Neal’s jet are too small for him to ride comfortably.

Big Shaq, you’ll need a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with plenty of legroom. One of your followers joked about your plane being too small for takeoff.

Shaq has no place in that team. Someone else said, “We need an Airbus A380.”

Michael Jordan, another NBA icon, recently traveled to Europe in his own $61 million Gulfstream private plane.