Shaquille O'Neal has spoken out to reject claims that he sent flirtatious direct messages to Sabrina Carpenter.

Screenshots began circulating online earlier this month that appeared to show a series of explicit messages between the 26 year old pop singer and the 54 year old NBA icon.

The former basketball star has now dismissed the rumours that he contacted the Espresso singer privately.

"First of all, ladies, the Diesel got way more game than that," he said during a recent episode of The Big Podcast, referencing his Big Diesel nickname. "I'm just saying."

O'Neal then jokingly read the supposed messages out loud.

"'Damn, baby, I would keep your farts in a cologne bottle and spray it on me every day,'" he said while reading the alleged fake messages. "'Just jokes, I'm Shaq. What's your name, baby?' And Sabrina says, 'I know who you are. You're way too famous to be sending messages like that.'"

According to the viral screenshots, O'Neal allegedly replied, "'I can't be horny and want some of that snow bunny kitty for no reason. You can't handle Big Diesel anyway.'"

During the discussion, his guest Jim Jones said that social media can be a "dangerous place" and called it "so crazy what people are spending their energy and time on".

O'Neal suggested the situation was likely the work of younger people chasing attention online and trying to benefit from "the algorithm and going viral".

O'Neal is the father of five children with his former wife Shaunie Henderson, whom he was married to from 2002 until 2011. He is also a father to another daughter from an earlier relationship.

Carpenter, who released the song Manchild, has not publicly responded to the viral messages.