Athlete Fears and Phobias

Shaquille O'Neal isn't frightened of defending Chris Webber or Dikembe Mutombo - but he was shaking in his size 29 shoes over having surgery on his big toe. "I can't sleep some nights thinking about it. I'm pretty scared," Shaq said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times before the surgery last year. While Shaq cries himself to sleep at night thinking about the little operation on his toe - here's a look at what puts fear into other famous athletes.

Serena and Venus Williams are usually scaring other women off the tennis court with their powerful serves and forehand smashes. So what scares the world's top two female tennis players? Horror movies. "We just can't watch horror films," says Venus. "They're just too scary for us. I saw The Exorcist one time, and honestly, I had to just put my head down. I was just... I couldn't take it. It was too terrible."

Kareem Rush, the rookie for the LA Lakers, is used to soaring above the rim after being a star in college for Missouri. But Kareem doesn't like soaring in airplanes. "I've always had a fear of flying," Kareem says. "That's one thing that I just don't like doing. But I know it's something I've got to do. If something happens, it happens, but I'm just looking forward to nothing happening."

Tim Duncan, the seven-foot center for the San Antonio Spurs, towers over just about everyone in the NBA. While he's tall himself, Tim says his two biggest fears are heights and sharks.

Aleisha Cline, who won gold in the Skiercross, at the 2001 X Games is used to flying off some of the world's nastiest hills. But what really scares her is accepting credit for those amazing maneuvers. "Oh my. That's one of the most nerve-racking events I've ever had to partake in," she said, after accepting the Women's Skier of the Year award at the 2002 ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards. "That beats, by far, six across in the starting gate or standing on top of the scariest run in Alaska."

What scares you the most? Is it heights, snakes, spiders or something else? Tell Kidzworld about your biggest fears.

Related Stories:

Are These Phobias for Real?

Extreme Quotes from Extreme Athletes

Fear Factor?

More on All The Pros!

Read more: Trivia