A deeper look at the NBA stars who love to own exotic animals: "I am mainly on African safari stuff"

Most professional athletes own pets, but some NBA players have taken a different route by choosing exotic animals as companions. While many opt for traditional pets like dogs and cats, a distinct group of guys prefer to go a little too unconventional by owning pets ranging from rare to wild animals.

We'll get to know a few of them and their exotic pets on this special list.

Anthony Davis and Mike Miller – Monkey

Anthony Davis owns a marmoset named Meek. According to Davis, he decided to have "Meek" after seeing one of his teammates bring a cute and talented monkey into the locker room one day.

However, when he realized that Meek had to be diligently trained to be as brilliant as his teammate's monkey, Davis figured it was time to just let go of his pet.

"That kinda freaked me out at first, like, 'What are you doing with a monkey?'" Davis said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2017. "And he had it like on a harness, a leash, it could do tricks. He was like, 'It can play peek-a-boo.' It was playing peek-a-boo, and I was like, 'Man, that's so dope. I want one.'"

"He ended up getting me one, and I found out my monkey did none of that. I had it about a year and a half, and I was like this is not for me. I gave it back to him," he continued.

Like Davis, Mike Miller also used to own a monkey. It was a Java Macaque, which he called Sonny. But unlike AD, Miller didn't want Sonny to amuse him with different tricks. Instead, he truly enjoyed the monkey's company like it was his child.

"He is actually like a kid, really, so for everything you go through, whether you have kids or are going to have kids, he's a great test," Mike told Magic.com in 2001. "You have to change his diapers, give him his bottle, and he wakes up in the middle of the night. There's all that kind of stuff. He makes you think that you have a little kid, but he makes it fun."

Miller frequently refuses to detail what happened to Sonny, but it's clear that he no longer has the monkey.

Carmelo Anthony – Camel

While other NBA stars have interesting backstories about their exotic pets, Carmelo Anthony didn't really need a reason to buy himself a camel. A few years ago, Melo revealed that he owned a camel but had no compelling story to share about why he decided to have one.

For Anthony, it was as plain and simple as this: "Everybody got dogs and cats as pets, I got a camel!"

Gilbert Arenas - Shark

More often than not, Gilbert Arenas is unapologetically borderline weird. That said, it's no surprise that "Agent Zero" also picked an exotic animal as his pet.

As a three-time All-Star, Gil had his fair share of multi-million dollar deals during his prime years in the NBA. Like other NBA stars, Arenas also chose to splurge his earnings on luxurious things, including his pet sharks. Reports stated that Arenas' sharks were unsurprisingly expensive, costing him "$5,000 a month to feed them and $1,500 for a keeper to drive from Columbus to take care of them."

Known for his outrageous and unfiltered takes on various matters, Gil even once raised a hot subject of discussion in a blog he wrote about shark attacks. According to the former Washington Wizards star, " there is no such thing as shark attack ," and the reason why people get bitten by sharks is that they invade their space.

"I have never seen a real shark attack. I know you’re making a weird face as you’re reading this. OK people, a shark attack is not what we see on TV and what people portray it as. We’re humans. We live on land. Sharks live in water," Arenas wrote.

"So if you’re swimming in the water and a shark bites you, that’s called trespassing. That is called trespassing. That is not a shark attack. A shark attack is if you’re chilling at home, sitting on your couch, and a shark comes in and bites you; now that’s a shark attack. Now, if you’re chilling in the water, that is called invasion of space. So I have never heard of a shark attack," he pointed out.

Danny Green – Snake

While snakes are largely known for being one of the most dangerous wild animals in the world, three-time NBA champion Danny Green begged to differ. For "Icy-Hot," snakes are man's best friend, or perhaps that was his boa constrictor named Jade .

Contrary to the infamous reputation of snakes, Jade never caused harm to Green. If anything, it has been the three-point shooter's loyal companion all throughout his NBA career. On top of all that, Green said he doesn't need to spend a lot of money to maintain Jade's diet and welfare.

Shaquille O'Neal – Horse and a tiger

As one of the most celebrated and dominant big men of all time, Shaquille O'Neal's pet of choice also resonated with his larger-than-life figure. Some might not know, but the Los Angeles Lakers legend owns tigers and a horse.

O'Neal has incredibly grown his fortune over the years following his retirement, but even when he was still playing, "Diesel" enjoyed spending big on the things he liked. That's why Shaq purchased two white tiger cubs back in 2005.

Today, those tigers are already massive in size. Diesel still spends some time with them, but they have to be caged most of the time for obvious reasons.

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Apart from tigers, Shaq also once owned a horse. Well aware that he is heavier than most people, the four-time NBA champion knew he had to get a horse that could carry his weight. And so, O'Neal bought a big one, but he had to let go of it after an incident happened that almost killed him .

"He tried to kill me. It was a 22-hand Percheron. Big horse. But what I didn’t know is he was a carriage horse. And then, when I tried to get on him, he tried to 'Bronco Billy' me," O'Neal once revealed.

George Hill – Kangaroos, zebras, wildebeests and many more

If we are to hail an MVP on this list, that would be none other than former Indiana Pacers guard George Hill. Without exaggeration, Hill beat the rest of his peers when it comes to owning exotic animals by a mile as he has turned his 850-acre ranch into a safari paradise.

He notably has kangaroos, zebras, wildebeests, donkeys, elk, antelope, and ostriches, among others. According to George, he has always had a penchant for the "African safari stuff," and that's why he decided to turn it into a reality for him and his family to enjoy.

"I am mainly on African safari stuff," Hill told ESPN in 2020. "I just think it's cool for my kids to see. And for them to have something different. Everyone has a dog or a cat. I just choose other animals."

In conclusion, these NBA stars prove that sometimes being far from the usual is cool, especially when it comes to pets.

Related: 5 most outlandish purchases NBA players ever made