Shaquille O'Neal Sparks Concern With Fans After Hospital Picture

Shaquille O'Neal has sparked concern among fans after sharing a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Sunday.

The 51-year-old NBA legend posted a photo of him lying flat with a number of wires hooking him up to monitors - but he didn't reveal why he has been hospitalized.

He tagged his NBA on TNT colleagues, Ernie Johnson and Candace Parker, and told them while he misses being with them, he would be tuning in to watch from his bed.

Shaq wrote on Twitter: "I'm always watching @TurnerSportsEJ and @Candace_Parker miss y'all."

Parker was one of the first to reply to the basketball icon, telling him: "Love ya big Fella."

There was concern from some former NBA stars, with Steve Smith and Roy Hibbert both reaching out to O'Neal on Twitter.

Hibbert asked in a tweet: "U good big man?"

Smith added: "Get Well Big Fella."

The snap of Shaq laid up in a hospital bed has been viewed 7.9 million times on Twitter alone, and there were many worrying about his health among those who commented.

One person tweeted: "Praying for you Brother ????????"

While another shared their concerns, tweeting: "I hope it's nothing serious ????Wishing you a fast recovery."

It has been reported by TMZ that Shaq has gone under the knife to correct a hip problem and had corrective surgery.

The media outlet has reported that the operation was successful and that Shaq is on the mend, though it is unclear whether he has been discharged from hospital or whether he is still recuperating there.

It is the second time this month that Shaq has had to miss his TV presenting duties as he was absent with sickness previously, though it hasn't been stated what was making him ill.

The NBA star's co-host in the TNT studio, Charles Barkley, joked on air at the time: "We called the hospital every day checking on you."

O'Neal sparked controversy last year when he claimed that the Earth was flat and that his flight from the United States to Australia was proof of this.

While appearing on The Kyle & Jackie O Show he was asked whether his comments previously about a flat Earth were a "joke" and Shaq replied: "It's a theory. It's just a theory, they teach us a lot of things. It's just a theory."

The former LA Lakers star explained his rationale by using his flight from the U.S. to Australia as an example.

"I flew 20 hours today, not once did I go this way," O'Neal said, noting he "didn't tip over" or "go upside down." He added that he's also unsure about whether the planet is spinning.

"You know they say the world is spinning? I've lived on a lake for 30 years and I've never seen the lake move to the left or right," he told listeners.

When Kyle mentioned that it's possible to travel from the U.S. to Australia from both coasts, Shaq responded, "It's still a straight line."

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