Shaq reveals reason behind picture as hospital snap sparks concern

Shaquille O’Neal is on the mend.

The “NBA on TNT” analyst is recovering after having hip replacement surgery over the weekend, sources confirmed to The Post’s Andrew Marchand.

O’Neal, who turned 51 earlier this month, caused a stir on social media when he shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Sunday night.

The Basketball Hall of Famer sent a message to his fellow TNT co-hosts, Ernie Johnson and Candace Parker.

“I’m always watching @TurnerSportsEJ and @Candace_Parker miss y’all,” O’Neal wrote on Twitter.

Ken Fan, an editor for Awful Announcing, said on Twitter that Johnson had mentioned during Turner’s March Madness coverage that O’Neal’s surgery involved his hip.

It’s unclear when O’Neal is expected to return to TV.

Earlier this month, O’Neal discussed the surgery on his podcast, and said he was hopeful to return to the gym and his diet next month.

“I’ll be back April 16, and I’m going in,” O’Neal said on “The Big Podcast with Shaq.”

“I’m going to try and lose 30 pounds and I’m going to try and get an eight-pack. Right now I got a little five-pack.”

The NBA legend explained that he’s going to follow a “51 diet,” which he said is “five BS meals and one meal.”

O’Neal’s five meals include: a shake for breakfast; a fruit plate; four chicken breasts with ketchup; a salad; and a shake.

“I’m going to do that for 90 days,” O’Neal said.

“I’m about to be shredded.”

O’Neal has been open about his weight loss journey, and revealed last October that he was down 36 pounds.

“I was 401 pounds. Now I’m 365,” O’Neal said during an appearance on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast.

“I’m trying to take it back to 345.

“I want to have muscles everywhere, and I want to do an underwear ad with my sons [for] Fruit of the Loom, baby.”

O’Neal surgery comes as TNT’s NBA coverage is reduced during March Madness.

O’Neal said he began taking his health more seriously after a doctor’s visit that discovered he had sleep apnea.