--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Doesn't matter. If I would've had a beer…" description: "\"Doesn't matter. If I would've had a beer before the game, I would've been drunk. So I don't believe in 'if.'\" — Shaquille O'Neal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/shaquille-o-neal-659_basketball_doesn-t-matter-if-i-would-ve-had-a-beer_2703540.jpg" --- # Doesn't matter. If I would've had a beer before the game… ![“Doesn't matter. If I would've had a beer before the game, I would've been drunk. So I don't believe in 'if.'” quote by Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/shaquille-o-neal-659_basketball_doesn-t-matter-if-i-would-ve-had-a-beer_2703540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/shaquille-o-neal-659_basketball_doesn-t-matter-if-i-would-ve-had-a-beer_2703540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/shaquille-o-neal-659_basketball_doesn-t-matter-if-i-would-ve-had-a-beer_2703540.jpg) > “Doesn't matter. If I would've had a beer before the game, I would've been drunk. So I don't believe in 'if.'” [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker dismisses counterfactual thinking, claiming that alternate actions would have changed the outcome, so they reject “what‑if” speculation. **In simple terms:** Rejecting “what‑if” thinking because alternate actions would change outcomes. Key Takeaway Focus on present reality, not imagined alternatives. Themes decision‑making counterfactuals mindset Mood reflective pragmatic Type motivational cautious When to use this quote - sports performance - personal goals - risk assessment - habit formation Key Concepts determinism agency cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How might considering alternatives improve future decisions? - When is it helpful to imagine “what‑if” scenarios? A Different Perspective Counterfactuals can be useful for learning; dismissing them entirely may limit growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Beer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beer/) [Beer Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beer-game-2752287/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Doesn Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-matter/) [Don't believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-t-believe/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Ve Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-drunk-734089/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [I've never been drunk. I've never even had a beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/i-ve-never-been-drunk-i-ve-never-even-had-a-beer/) [Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/) > [I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-ve-been-drunk-for-about-a-week-now-and-i-thought-it-might-sober-me/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Because I've been that drunk person in the club so many thousands of times, when I'm in an environment where people are drunk or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/because-i-ve-been-that-drunk-person-in-the-club-so-many-thousands-of/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [I'm not a big drinker and I don't smoke either. I've only been drunk a few times, but I did moon my friend once.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sanderson/i-m-not-a-big-drinker-and-i-don-t-smoke-either-i-ve-only-been-drunk-a/) [Nikki Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sanderson/) > [“Then I've been drunk, too," admitted Francie. "On beer?" "No. Last spring, in McCarren's Park, I saw a tulip for the first time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/then-i-ve-been-drunk-too-admitted-francie-on-beer-no-last-spring-in/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [Well, where do I start? I've had sex, I've drunk beer, I've smoked. I'm bi... But I'm human so guess what? It's okay and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor/well-where-do-i-start-i-ve-had-sex-i-ve-drunk-beer-i-ve-smoked-i-m-bi/) [Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor/) > [I've been drunk only once in my life. But that lasted for twenty-three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/i-ve-been-drunk-only-once-in-my-life-but-that-lasted-for-twenty-three/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [Certain nights, when everything's perfect and we have thousands of people partying their asses off, I break my rule and have a drink onstage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-chesney/certain-nights-when-everything-s-perfect-and-we-have-thousands-of/) [Kenny Chesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-chesney/) > [I’ve never been drunk in my life. I don’t use recreational drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/i-ve-never-been-drunk-in-my-life-i-don-t-use-recreational-drugs/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [I could write a book on the things I've done drunk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-could-write-a-book-on-the-things-i-ve-done-drunk/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [And it occurs to me that if I were aboard a rowboat floating in the middle of all the beer I've drunk in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-purdy/and-it-occurs-to-me-that-if-i-were-aboard-a-rowboat-floating-in-the/) [Al Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-purdy/) > [“This is the kind of life I've had. Drunk, and in charge of a bicycle, as an Irish police report once put it. Drunk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/this-is-the-kind-of-life-i-ve-had-drunk-and-in-charge-of-a-bicycle-as/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I used to like whiskey. But it's been a long time since I've been drunk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-williams/i-used-to-like-whiskey-but-it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-ve-been-drunk/) [Claude Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-williams/) > [“But you've never drunk fresh blood. Have you?" Simon raised his own eyebrows in response. "Well, aside from mine, of course," Jace said. "And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/but-you-ve-never-drunk-fresh-blood-have-you-simon-raised-his-own/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I don't think I've drunk enough beer to understand that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-don-t-think-i-ve-drunk-enough-beer-to-understand-that/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Shaquille O'Neal > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [And if the big dog ain't me, then the house won't get guarded - period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-if-the-big-dog-ain-t-me-then-the-house-won-t-get-guarded-period/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I don't send messages, I'm not a fax machine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-don-t-send-messages-i-m-not-a-fax-machine/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I told our guys they must not have cable because Antoine Walker knows how to play, Derek Anderson can play, Shandon Anderson knows how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-told-our-guys-they-must-not-have-cable-because-antoine-walker-knows/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I was really upset. I felt like they tried to limit me, whoever 'they' may be. So I just said to myself third quarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-was-really-upset-i-felt-like-they-tried-to-limit-me-whoever-they/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Keep in mind, I'm not allowed to be tough. I'm tamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/keep-in-mind-i-m-not-allowed-to-be-tough-i-m-tamed/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I'm still the baddest expletive in the world. Yeah, I'm getting older, but Kareem got older. Hakeem got older. I don't need Earthlings' respect.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-m-still-the-baddest-expletive-in-the-world-yeah-i-m-getting-older/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Write this: Since my boy is the coach, I'm going to try out for the Dolphins next year. Tight end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/write-this-since-my-boy-is-the-coach-i-m-going-to-try-out-for-the/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Everybody talks about being a role model. But if you look up the word 'role' in a dictionary, it describes playing a part. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/everybody-talks-about-being-a-role-model-but-if-you-look-up-the-word/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Why don't you bring your face up here and let me punch it? Then you can tell me (if I'm stronger).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/why-don-t-you-bring-your-face-up-here-and-let-me-punch-it-then-you/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I'm known as The Big Baryshnikov.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-m-known-as-the-big-baryshnikov/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Enunciation, diction, all that stuff. None of that is in my personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/enunciation-diction-all-that-stuff-none-of-that-is-in-my-personality/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I told Leonard, in the immortal words of Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2, 'I'm going on vacation. 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It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. 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