Shaquille O'Neal

"Shaquille" redirects here. For other uses, see Shaquille (disambiguation).

Shaquille O'Neal

O'Neal in 2011
Personal information
Born (1972-03-06) March 6, 1972
Newark, New Jersey
Nationality American
Listed height 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight 325 lb (147 kg)
Career information
High school Robert G. Cole
(San Antonio, Texas)
College LSU (1989–1992)
NBA draft 1992 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Playing career 1992–2011
Position Center
Number 32, 34, 33, 36
Career history
1992–1996 Orlando Magic
1996–2004 Los Angeles Lakers
2004–2008 Miami Heat
2008–2009 Phoenix Suns
2009–2010 Cleveland Cavaliers
2010–2011 Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points 28,596 (23.7 ppg)
Rebounds 13,099 (10.9 rpg)
Blocks 2,732 (2.3 bpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2014
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
1996 Atlanta Team competition
World Championship
1994 Canada Team competition

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (/ʃəˈkiːl/ shə-KEEL; born March 6, 1972), nicknamed Shaq (/ˈʃæk/ SHAK), is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Listed at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall[1] and weighing 325 pounds (147 kg), he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA. O'Neal played for six teams throughout his 19-year NBA career. He was announced as a nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on December 21, 2015.[2]

Following his career at Louisiana State University, O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. He quickly became one of the best centers in the league, winning Rookie of the Year in 1992–93 and later leading his team to the 1995 NBA Finals. After four years with the Magic, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. They won three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Amid tension between O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, and his fourth NBA championship followed in 2006. Midway through the 2007–2008 season he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. After a season-and-a-half with the Suns, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009–10 season.[3] O'Neal played for the Boston Celtics in the 2010–11 season before retiring.[4]

O'Neal's individual accolades include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 7th all-time in points scored, 5th in field goals, 13th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks. Largely due to his ability to dunk the basketball, O'Neal also ranks 3rd all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%).[5]

In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going platinum. He has appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows, Shaq's Big Challenge and Shaq Vs.. He currently hosts The Big Podcast with Shaq.[6]

On April 4, 2016, O'Neal was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, alongside Allen Iverson and Yao Ming.[7]

Early life

O'Neal was born on March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey, to Lucille O'Neal and Joseph Toney, an All-State guard in high school who was offered a basketball scholarship to play at Seton Hall. Toney struggled with drug addiction and was imprisoned for drug possession when O'Neal was an infant. Upon his release, he did not resume a place in O'Neal's life and instead agreed to relinquish his parental rights to O'Neal's stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison, a career Army Reserve sergeant.[8][9] O'Neal remains estranged from his biological father; he and Toney have never spoken, and O'Neal has expressed no interest in establishing a relationship.[9] On his 1994 rap album, Shaq Fu: The Return, O'Neal voiced his feelings of disdain for Toney in the song "Biological Didn't Bother", dismissing him with the line "Phil is my father."

O'Neal credits the Boys and Girls Club of America in Newark with giving him a safe place to play and keeping him off the streets. "It gave me something to do," he said. "I'd just go there to shoot. I didn't even play on a team."[10] Because of his stepfather's career in the military, the family left Newark, moving to military bases in Germany and Texas.[11]

At Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas, O'Neal led his team to a 68–1 record over two years and helped the team win the state championship during his senior year.[12] His 791 rebounds during the 1989 season remains a state record for a player in any classification.[13] O'Neal's tendency to make hook shots earned comparisons to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, inspiring him to wear the same jersey number as Abdul-Jabbar, 33. However, the unavailability of said number in high school forced him to wear 32 before college.[14]

On January 31, 2012, O’Neal was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans.[15]

College career

Statue of O'Neal dunking at Louisiana State University

After graduating from high school, O'Neal studied business at Louisiana State University. He had first met Dale Brown, LSU's men's basketball coach, years earlier in Europe. O'Neal's stepfather was stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany. While playing for Brown at LSU, O'Neal was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men's basketball player of the year in 1991; he was also named college player of the year by AP and UPI. O'Neal left LSU early to pursue his NBA career, but continued his education even after becoming a professional player.[16] He was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame.[17] A 900-pound bronze statue of O'Neal is located in front of the LSU Tigers Basketball Practice Facility.[18]

NBA career

Orlando Magic (1992–1996)

The Orlando Magic drafted O'Neal with the 1st overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. During that summer, prior to moving to Orlando, he spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.[19] Given Terry Catledge eventually refused to give O'Neal the 33 jersey, he relented by going back to the 32 from his high school days.[14] O'Neal was named the Player of the Week in his first week in the NBA, becoming the first player to do so.[20] During his rookie season, O'Neal averaged 23.4 points on 56.2% shooting, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game for the season. He was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year and became the first rookie to be voted an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985.[21] The Magic finished 41–41, winning 20 more games than the previous season; however, the team ultimately missed the playoffs by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Indiana Pacers. On more than one occasion during the year, Sports Illustrated writer Jack McCallum overheard O'Neal saying, "We've got to get [head coach] Matty [Guokas] out of here and bring in [assistant] Brian [Hill]."[22]

In 1993–1994, O'Neal's second season, Hill was the coach and Guokas was reassigned to the front office.[23] O'Neal improved his scoring average to 29.4 points (second in the league to David Robinson) while leading the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%. On November 20, 1993, against the New Jersey Nets, O'Neal registered the first triple-double of his career, recording 24 points to go along with career highs of 28 rebounds and 15 blocks.[24] He was voted into the All-Star game and also made the All-NBA 3rd Team. Teamed with newly drafted Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, the Magic finished with a record of 50–32 and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In his first playoff series, O'Neal averaged 20.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in a losing effort as the Magic lost every game to the Indiana Pacers.

O'Neal's third season in 1994-95 had him leading the NBA in scoring with a 29.3 point average, while finishing second in MVP voting to David Robinson and entering his third straight All-Star Game along with Hardaway. They formed one of the league's top duos and helped Orlando to a 57–25 record and the Atlantic Division crown. The Magic won their first ever playoff series against the Boston Celtics in the 1995 NBA Playoffs. They then defeated the Chicago Bulls in the conference semi-finals. After beating Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers, the Magic reached the NBA Finals, facing the defending NBA champion Houston Rockets. O'Neal played well in his first Finals appearance, averaging 28 points on 59.5% shooting, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Despite this, the Rockets, led by future Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, swept the series in four games.[25]

O'Neal was injured for a great deal of the 1995–96 season, missing 28 games. He averaged 26.6 points and 11 rebounds per game, made the All-NBA 3rd Team, and played in his 4th All-Star Game. Despite O'Neal's injuries, the Magic finished with a regular season record of 60–22, second in the Eastern conference to the Chicago Bulls, who finished with an NBA record 72 wins. Orlando easily defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds of the 1996 NBA Playoffs; however, they were no match for Jordan's Bulls, who swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2004)

In 8 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2004), O'Neal won three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002 and appeared in the 2004 NBA Finals.

O'Neal became a free agent after the 1995–96 NBA season. In the summer of 1996, O'Neal was named to the United States Olympic basketball team, and was later part of the gold medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. While the Olympic basketball team was training in Orlando, the Orlando Sentinel published a poll that asked whether the Magic should fire Hill if that were one of O'Neal's conditions for returning.[26][27] 82% answered "no".[26] O'Neal had a power struggle while playing under Hill.[28][29] He said the team "just didn't respect [Hill]."[30] Another question in the poll asked, "Is Shaq worth $115 million?" in reference to the amount of the Magic's offer. 91.3% of the response was "no".[27][28] O'Neal's Olympic teammates rode him hard over the poll.[27][29] He was also upset that the Orlando media implied O'Neal was not a good role model for having a child with his longtime girlfriend with no immediate plans to marry.[26] O'Neal compared his lack of privacy in Orlando to "feeling like a big fish in a dried-up pond."[31] O'Neal also learned that Hardaway considered himself the leader of the Magic and did not want O'Neal making more money than him.[32] On the team's first full day at the Olympics in Atlanta, it was announced that O'Neal would join the Los Angeles Lakers on a seven-year, $121 million contract.[33][34] He insisted he did not choose Los Angeles for the money. "I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money," O'Neal said after the signing. "I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok," he added, referring to a couple of his product endorsements.[35][36] The Lakers won 56 games during the 1996–97 season. O'Neal averaged 26.2 points and 12.5 rebounds in his first season with Los Angeles; however, he again missed over 30 games due to injury. The Lakers made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the second round by the Utah Jazz in five games.[37] In his first playoff game for the Lakers, O'Neal scored 46 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, the most for the Lakers in a playoff game since Jerry West had 53 in 1969. On December 17, 1996, O'Neal shoved Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls; Rodman's teammates Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan restrained Rodman and prevented further conflict. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that O'Neal was willing to be suspended for fighting Rodman, and O'Neal said: "It's one thing to talk tough and one thing to be tough."[38]

The following season, O'Neal averaged 28.3 points and 11.4 rebounds. He led the league with a 58.4 field goal percentage, the first of five consecutive seasons in which he did so. The Lakers finished the season 61–21, first in the Pacific Division, and were the second seed in the western conference during the 1998 NBA Playoffs. After defeating the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics in the first two rounds, the Lakers again fell to the Jazz, this time in a 4–0 sweep.[39]

With the tandem of O'Neal and teenage superstar Kobe Bryant, expectations for the Lakers increased. However, personnel changes were a source of instability during the 1998–99 season. Long-time Laker point guard Nick Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets; his former backcourt partner Eddie Jones was packaged with back-up center Elden Campbell for Glen Rice to satisfy a demand by O'Neal for a shooter. Coach Del Harris was fired, and former Lakers forward Kurt Rambis finished the season as head coach. The Lakers finished with a 31–19 record during the lockout-shortened season. Although they made the playoffs, they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Spurs would go on to win their first NBA title in 1999.

Championship seasons

In 1999, prior to the 1999–2000 season, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as head coach, and the team's fortunes soon changed. Jackson immediately challenged O'Neal, telling him "the [NBA's] MVP trophy should be named after him when he retired."[40] Using Jackson's triangle offense, O'Neal and Bryant enjoyed tremendous success, leading the Lakers to three consecutive titles (2000, 2001, and 2002). O'Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and had the highest scoring average for a center in NBA Finals history.[41] In the November 10, 1999, game against the Houston Rockets, O'Neal and Charles Barkley were ejected. After O'Neal blocked a layup by Barkley, O'Neal shoved Barkley, who then threw the ball at O'Neal.[42]

O'Neal was also voted the 1999–2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Fred Hickman, then of CNN, instead chose Allen Iverson, then of the Philadelphia 76ers who would go on to win MVP the next season. O'Neal also won the scoring title while finishing second in rebounds and third in blocked shots. Jackson's influence resulted in a newfound commitment by O'Neal to defense, resulting in his first All-Defensive Team selection (second-team) in 2000.[43]

In the 2001 NBA Finals against the 76ers, O'Neal fouled out in Game 3 backing over Dikembe Mutombo, the 2000–2001 Defensive Player of the Year. "I didn't think the best defensive player in the game would be flopping like that. It's a shame that the referees buy into that," O'Neal said. "I wish he'd stand up and play me like a man instead of flopping and crying every time I back him down.[44]

A month before the 2001–02 season's training camp, O'Neal had corrective surgery for a claw toe deformity in the smallest toe of his left foot.[45] He opted against a more involved surgery to return quicker.[46] He was ready for the start of the 2001–02 regular season, but the toe frequently bothered him.[45] In January 2002 he was involved in a spectacular on-court brawl in a game against the Chicago Bulls. He punched center Brad Miller after an intentional foul to prevent a basket, resulting in a melee with Miller, forward Charles Oakley, and several other players.[47] O'Neal was suspended for three games without pay and fined $15,000.[48] For the season, O'Neal averaged 27.2 points and 10.7 rebounds, excellent statistics but below his career average; he was less of a defensive force during the season.[45]

O'Neal at the White House greeting President Bush with his fellow Lakers

Matched up against the Sacramento Kings in the 2002 Western Conference finals, O'Neal said, "There is only one way to beat us. It starts with c and ends with t." O'Neal meant "cheat" in reference to the alleged flopping of Kings' center Vlade Divac. O'Neal referred to Divac as "she", and said he would never exaggerate contact to draw a foul. "I'm a guy with no talent who has gotten this way with hard work."[49] After the 2001–2002 season, O'Neal told friends that he did not want another season of limping and being in virtually constant pain from his big right toe. His trademark mobility and explosion had been often absent. The corrective options ranged from reconstructive surgery on the toe to rehabilitation exercises with more shoe inserts and anti-inflammation medication. O'Neal was already wary of the long-term damage his frequent consumption of these medications might have. He did not want to rush a decision with his career potentially at risk.[45]

Toe surgery to departure

O'Neal missed the first 12 games of the 2002–2003 season recovering from toe surgery.[50] He was sidelined with hallux rigidus, a degenerative arthritis in his toe.[51] He waited the whole summer until just before training camp for the surgery and explained, "I got hurt on company time, so I’ll heal on company time."[52] O'Neal debated whether to have a more invasive surgery that would have kept him out an additional three months, but he opted against the more involved procedure.[51] The Lakers started the season with a record of 11–19.[53] After the Lakers fell to the fifth seed and failed to reach the Finals in 2003, the team made a concerted off-season effort to improve its roster. They sought the free-agent services of forward Karl Malone and aging guard Gary Payton, but due to salary cap restrictions, could not offer either one nearly as much money as they could have made with some other teams. O'Neal assisted in the recruitment efforts and personally persuaded both men to join the squad. Ultimately, both signed, each forgoing larger salaries in favor of a chance to win an NBA championship, which neither had accomplished in his career (and which neither would achieve with the Lakers). At the beginning of the 2003–04 season, O'Neal wanted a contract extension with a pay raise on his remaining three years for $30 million. The Lakers had hoped O'Neal would take less money due to his age, physical conditioning, and games missed due to injuries. During a preseason game, O'Neal had yelled at Lakers owner Jerry Buss, "Pay me."[54] There had been increasing tension between O'Neal and Bryant, the feud climaxing on the eve of training camp prior to the 2003–2004 season when Kobe, in an interview with ESPN journalist Jim Gray, criticized Shaq for being out of shape, a poor leader, and putting his salary demands over the best interest of the Lakers.[55]

The Lakers made the playoffs in 2004, and lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter said, "Shaq defeated himself against Detroit. He played way too passively. He had one big game ... He's always interested in being a scorer, but he hasn't had nearly enough concentration on defense and rebounding."[56] After the series, O'Neal was angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O'Neal's future with the club, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson at the request of Buss. O'Neal made comments indicating that he felt the team's decisions were centered on a desire to appease Bryant to the exclusion of all other concerns, and O'Neal promptly demanded a trade. Kupchak wanted the Dallas Mavericks's Dirk Nowitzki in return but Cuban refused to let his 7-footer go. However, Miami showed interest and eventually the two clubs agreed.[57] Winter said, "[O'Neal] left because he couldn't get what he wanted—a huge pay raise. There was no way ownership could give him what he wanted. Shaq's demands held the franchise hostage, and the way he went about it didn't please the owner too much."[58]

Miami Heat (2004–2008)

O'Neal with Miami in 2007

On July 14, 2004, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and a future first-round draft choice (who would turn into Jordan Farmar in the 2006 draft). O'Neal reverted from (his Lakers jersey) number 34 to number 32, which he had worn while playing for the Magic. Upon signing with the Heat, O'Neal promised the fans that he would bring a championship to Miami. He claimed one of the main reasons for wanting to be traded to Miami was because of their up-and-coming star Dwyane Wade, to whom he gave the nickname "Flash". With O'Neal on board, the new-look Heat surpassed expectations, claiming the best record in the Eastern Conference in 2004–05 with 59 wins. He played in 73 games, his most since 2001 season, averaged 22.9 points a game along with 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Shaq also made his 12th consecutive All-Star Team, made the All-NBA 1st Team, and won the Eastern Conference player of the Month award for his performance in March. O'Neal also narrowly lost the 2004–05 MVP Award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in one of the closest votes in NBA history.[59]

Despite being hobbled by a deep thigh bruise, O'Neal led the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, losing by a narrow margin. Afterwards, O'Neal and others criticized Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy for not calling enough plays for O'Neal.[60] In August 2005, O'Neal signed a 5-year-extension with the Heat for $100 million. Supporters applauded O'Neal's willingness to take what amounted to a pay cut and the Heat's decision to secure O'Neal's services for the long term. They contended that O'Neal was worth more than $20 million per year, particularly given that lesser players earned almost the same amount.[61]

In the second game of the 2005–06 season, O'Neal injured his right ankle and subsequently missed the following 18 games. Upon O'Neal's return, Van Gundy resigned, citing family reasons, and Pat Riley assumed head coach responsibilities.[52] Many critics stated that Heat coach Riley correctly managed O'Neal during the rest of the season, limiting his minutes to a career low. Riley felt doing so would allow O'Neal to be healthier and fresher come playoff time. Although O'Neal averaged career lows (or near-lows) in points, rebounds, and blocks, he said in an interview "Stats don't matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score 0 points and we win I'm happy. If I score 50, 60 points, break the records, and we lose, I'm pissed off. 'Cause I knew I did something wrong. I'll have a hell of a season if I win the championship and average 20 points a game."[62] During the 2005–06 season, the Heat recorded only a .500 record without O'Neal in the line-up.[63]

On April 11, 2006, O'Neal recorded his second career triple-double against the Toronto Raptors with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career high 10 assists.[64] O'Neal finished the 2005–06 season as the league leader in field goal percentage.[64]

Fourth championship

O'Neal holding the championship ball when the NBA Champion Heat visited the White House

In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Heat first faced the younger Chicago Bulls, and O'Neal delivered a dominating 27 point, 16 rebound and 5 blocks performance in game 1 followed by a 22-point effort in game 2 to help Miami take a 2-0 lead in the series. Chicago would respond with two dominating performances at home to tie the series, but Miami would respond right back with a victory at home in game 5. Miami returned to Chicago and closed out the series in the 6th game, highlighted by another dominating performance by O'Neal who finished with 30 points and 20 rebounds. Miami advanced to face New Jersey, who won a surprising game 1 victory before the Heat won four straight to assure a rematch with Detroit. The Pistons had no answer for Wade throughout the series, while O'Neal delivered 21 points and 12 rebounds in game 3 followed by 27 points and 12 boards in game 4 to help Miami take a 3-2 series lead. The Pistons would win game 5 in Detroit, and Wade would once again get injured, but the Heat held on to win game 6 with O'Neal scoring 28 points with 16 rebounds and 5 blocks to help Miami reach their first ever NBA Finals.[65]

In the Finals, the Heat were not favored to win the title against the Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki, and the Mavericks won the first two games at home in dominating fashion. The Heat led by Wade and a balanced effort by O'Neal, Antoine Walker and Jason Williams would go on to win all three of the next games at home, before closing out the series in Dallas to deliver the first NBA title for the franchise and O'Neal fourth title. With Wade carrying the offensive load, O'Neal did not need to have a dominating series, and finished with an average of 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds for the series.[65]

Surgery and Wade's injury

In the 2006–07 season, O'Neal missed 35 games after an injury to his left knee in November required surgery.[66][67] After one of those missed games, a Christmas Day match-up against the Lakers, he ripped Jackson, who O'Neal had once called a second father, referring to his former coach as Benedict Arnold. Jackson had previously said, "The only person I've ever [coached] that hasn't been a worker ... is probably Shaq."[68] The Heat struggled during O'Neal's absence,[69] but with his return won seven of their next eight games. Bad luck still haunted the squad, however, as Wade dislocated his left shoulder, leaving O'Neal as the focus of the team.[69] Critics doubted that O'Neal, now in his mid-thirties, could carry the team into the playoffs.[70] The Heat went on a winning streak that kept them in the race for a playoff spot, which they finally secured against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 5.[69]

In a rematch of the year before, the Heat faced the Bulls in the first round of the 2006–07 NBA playoffs. The Heat struggled against the Bulls and although O'Neal put up reasonable numbers, he was not able to dominate the series. The Bulls swept the Heat, the first time in 50 years a defending NBA champion was swept in the opening round.[71] It was the first time in 13 years that O'Neal did not advance into the second round. In the 2006–07 season O'Neal reached 25,000 career points, becoming the 14th player in NBA history to accomplish that milestone. However, it was the first season in O'Neal's career that his scoring average dropped below 20 points per game.[5]

2007–2008 season

O'Neal experienced a rough start for the 2007–08 season, averaging career lows in points, rebounds and blocks. His role in the offense diminished, as he attempted only 10 field goals per game, versus his career average of 17. In addition, O'Neal was plagued by fouls, and during one stretch fouled out of five consecutive games. O'Neal's streak of 14 straight All-Star appearances ended that season.[5] O'Neal again missed games due to injuries, and the Heat had a 15–game losing streak.[72] According to O'Neal, Riley thought he was faking the injury.[73] During a practice in February 2008, O'Neal got into an altercation with Riley over the coach ordering a tardy Jason Williams to leave practice. The two argued face-to-face, with O'Neal poking Riley in the chest and Riley slapping his finger away. Riley soon after decided to trade O'Neal.[74] O'Neal said his relationship with Wade was not "all that good" by the time he left Miami, but he did not express disappointment at Wade for failing to stand up for him.[75]

O'Neal played 33 games for the Miami Heat in the 2007–08 season prior to being traded to the Phoenix Suns. O'Neal started all 33 games and averaged 14.2 points per game. Following the trade to Phoenix, O'Neal averaged 12.9 ppg while starting all 28 games with the Suns.

Phoenix Suns (2008–2009)

The Phoenix Suns acquired O'Neal in February 2008 from the league-worst Miami Heat, who had a record at the time of the trade of 9-37, in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.[76] O'Neal made his Suns debut on February 20, 2008 against his former Lakers team, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in the process. The Lakers won, 130–124. O'Neal was upbeat in a post-game press conference, stating: "I will take the blame for this loss because I wasn't in tune with the guys [...] But give me four or five days to really get in tune and I'll get it."[77]

In 28 regular-season games, O'Neal averaged 12.9 points and 10.6 rebounds,[78] good enough to make the playoffs. One of the reasons for the trade was to limit Tim Duncan in the event of a postseason matchup between the Suns and the San Antonio Spurs, especially after the Suns' six-game elimination by the Spurs in the 2007 NBA Playoffs.[79] O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns did face the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, but they were once again eliminated, in five games. O'Neal averaged 15.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.[78]

O'Neal preferred his new situation with the Suns over the Heat. "I love playing for this coach and I love playing with these guys," O'Neal said. "We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with [his former Heat teammates] Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I'm actually on a team again." Riley felt O'Neal was wrong for maligning his former teammates. O'Neal responded with an expletive toward Riley, who he often referred to as the "great Pat Riley" while playing for the Heat.[80] O'Neal credited the Suns training staff with prolonging his career.[81] They connected his arthritic toe, which would not bend, to the alteration of his jump that consequently was straining his leg. The trainers had him concentrate on building his core strength, flexibility, and balance.[82]

The 2008–09 season improved for O'Neal, who averaged 18 pts, 9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks through the first half (41 games) of the season, leading the Suns to a 23–18 record and 2nd place in their division.[83] He returned to the All-Star Game in 2009 and emerged as co-MVP along with ex-teammate Kobe Bryant.

O'Neal with Phoenix teammate Steve Nash.

On February 27, 2009, O'Neal scored 45 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, his 49th career 40-point game, beating the Toronto Raptors 133–113.

In a matchup against Orlando on March 3, 2009, O'Neal was outscored by Magic center Dwight Howard, 21–19. "I'm really too old to be trying to outscore 18-year-olds," O'Neal said, referring to the then 23-year-old Howard. "It's not really my role anymore." O'Neal was double-teamed most of the night. "I like to play people one-on-one. My whole career I had to play people one-on-one. Never once had to double or ask for a double. But it's cool," said O'Neal. During the game, O'Neal flopped against Howard. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who had coached O'Neal with the Heat, was "very disappointed cause [O'Neal] knows what it's like. Let's stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight."[84] O'Neal responded, "Flopping is playing like that your whole career. I was trying to take the charge, trying to get a call. It probably was a flop, but flopping is the wrong use of words. Flopping would describe his coaching."[85] Mark Madsen, a Lakers teammate of O'Neal's for three years, found it amusing since "everyone in the league tries to flop on Shaq and Shaq never flops back."[86] In a 2006 interview in TIME, O'Neal said if he were NBA commissioner, he would "Make a guy have to beat a guy—not flop and get calls and be nice to the referees and kiss ass."[87]

On March 6, O'Neal talked about the upcoming game against the Rockets and Yao Ming. “It’s not going to be man-on-man, so don’t even try that,” says O’Neal with an incredulous laugh. “They’re going to double and triple me like everybody else ... I rarely get to play [Yao] one-on-one ... But when I play him (on defense), it’s just going to be me down there. So don’t try to make it a Yao versus Shaq thing, when it’s Shaq versus four other guys."[88]

The 2009 NBA Playoffs was also the first time since O'Neal's rookie season in 1992–93 that he did not participate in the playoffs. He was named as a member of the All-NBA Third Team. The Suns notified O'Neal he might be traded to cut costs.[89]

Cleveland Cavaliers (2009–2010)

On June 25, 2009, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, $500,000 and a 2010-second round draft pick.[90] Upon arriving in Cleveland, O'Neal said, "My motto is very simple: Win a Ring for the King," referring to LeBron James.[91] James was the leader of the team, and O'Neal deferred to him.[92]

On Friday, February 25, 2010 O'Neal suffered a severe right thumb injury while attempting to go up for a shot against Glen Davis of the Boston Celtics.[93] He had surgery on the thumb on March 1 and returned to play on April 17 in the first round playoff game against the Chicago Bulls.[94]

O'Neal averaged career lows in almost every major statistical category, taking on a much less significant role than in previous years. His presence in the post was not as significant as in years past. After the retirement of Lindsey Hunter on March 5, O'Neal became the NBA’s oldest active player. He returned to the starting line-up in time for the 2010 NBA Playoffs. The Cavaliers swiftly defeated the Chicago Bulls in the first round, yet Cleveland became the first team in NBA history to miss the NBA Finals after laying claim to the NBA's top playoff seed for two consecutive seasons. On May 13, the Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs, losing to the Boston Celtics 4–2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Boston Celtics (2010–2011)

O'Neal finished his career with the Boston Celtics

Upon hearing Bryant comment that he had more rings than O'Neal, Wyc Grousbeck, principal owner of the Celtics, saw an opportunity to acquire O'Neal.[95] Celtics coach Doc Rivers agreed to the signing on the condition that O'Neal would not receive preferential treatment nor could he cause any locker room problems like in Los Angeles or Miami.[96] On August 4, 2010, the Celtics announced that they had signed O'Neal.[97] The contract was for two years at the veteran minimum salary for a total contract value of $2.8 million.[98] O'Neal wanted the larger mid-level exception contract, but the Celtics chose instead to give it to Jermaine O'Neal.[99] The Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks also expressed interest but had stalled on O'Neal's salary demands.[100][101] He was introduced by the Celtics on August 10, 2010, and chose the number 36.[102]

O'Neal said he didn't "compete with little guys who run around dominating the ball, throwing up 30 shots a night—like D–Wade, Kobe." O'Neal added that he was only competing against Duncan: "If Tim Duncan gets five rings, then that gives some writer the chance to say 'Duncan is the best,' and I can't have that."[103] Publicly, he insisted he did not care whether he started or substituted for the Celtics, but expected to be part of the second unit.[103] Privately, he wanted to start, but kept it to himself.[104] O'Neal missed games throughout the season due to an assortment of ailments to his right leg[105] including knee,[106] calf,[107] hip,[108] and Achilles injuries.[109] The Celtics traded away center Kendrick Perkins in February partially due to the expectation that O'Neal would return to fill Perkins' role. The Celtics were 33–10 in games Perkins had missed during the year due to injury,[105] and they were 19–3 in games that O'Neal played over 20 minutes.[110] After requesting a cortisone shot, O'Neal returned April 3 after missing 27 games due to his Achilles; he played only five minutes due to a strained right calf.[105][111] It was the last regular season game he would play that year.[112] O'Neal missed the first round of the 2011 playoffs. He insisted on more cortisone shots and returned in the second round, but he was limited to 12 minutes in two games as the Heat eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs.[113][114]

On June 1, 2011, O'Neal announced his retirement via social media.[115][116] On a short tape on Twitter, O’Neal tweeted, “We did it. Nineteen years, baby. I want to thank you very much. That’s why I’m telling you first. I’m about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon.” On June 3, 2011, O'Neal held a press conference at his home in Orlando to officially announce his retirement.[117]

National team career

While in college, O'Neal was considered for the Dream Team to fill the college spot, but it eventually went to future teammate Christian Laettner.[118] His national team career began in the 1994 FIBA World Championship in which he was named MVP of the Tournament. While he led Dream Team II to the gold medal with an 8–0 record, O'Neal averaged 18 points and 8.5 rebounds and recorded two double-doubles. In four games, he scored more than 20 points. Before 2010, he was the last active American player to have a gold from the FIBA World Championships.

He was one of two players (the other being Reggie Miller) from the 1994 roster to be also named to the Dream Team III. Due to more star-power, he rotated with Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson and started 3 games. He averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds with 8 total blocks. Again, a perfect 8–0 record landed him another gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. O'Neal was upset that coach Lenny Wilkens played Robinson more minutes in the final game; Wilkens previously explained to O'Neal that it would probably be Robinson's last Olympics.[119]

After his 1996 experience, he declined to play in international competition. He was angered by being overlooked for the FIBA Americas Championship 1999 squad, saying it was a "lack of respect".[120] He forwent an opportunity to participate in the 2000 Olympics, explaining that two gold medals were enough.[121] Shaq also chose not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.[122] He rejected an offer to play in the 2004 Olympics,[123] and although he was initially interested in being named for 2006–2008 US preliminary roster,[124] he eventually declined the invitation.[125]

Player profile

O'Neal's free throw shooting is regarded as one of his major weaknesses.

O'Neal established himself as an overpowering low post presence, putting up career averages of 23.7 points on .582 field goal accuracy, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.

At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), 325 lb (147 kg; 23.2 st)[126] and U.S. shoe size 23,[50] he became famous for his physical stature. His physical frame gave him a power advantage over most opponents.

O'Neal's "drop step", (called the "Black Tornado" by O'Neal) in which he posted up a defender, turned around and, using his elbows for leverage, powered past him for a very high-percentage slam dunk, proved an effective offensive weapon. In addition, O'Neal frequently used a right-handed jump hook shot to score near the basket. The ability to dunk contributed to his career field goal accuracy of .582, second only to Artis Gilmore as the highest field goal percentage of all time.[127] He led the NBA in field goal percentage 10 times, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record of nine.[50]

Opposing teams often used up many fouls on O'Neal, reducing the playing time of their own big men. O'Neal's imposing physical presence inside the paint caused dramatic changes in many teams' offensive and defensive strategies.[128]

O'Neal's primary weakness was his free throw shooting, with a career average of 52.7%. He once missed all 11 of his free throw attempts in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 8, 2000, a record.[129] O'Neal believes his free throw woes were a mental issue, as he often shot 80 percent in practice.[130] In hope of exploiting O'Neal's poor foul shooting, opponents often committed intentional fouls against him, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq". O'Neal was the third-ranked player all-time in free throws taken,[131] having attempted 11,252 free-throws in 1,207 games up to and including the 2010–11 season. On December 25, 2008, O'Neal missed his 5,000th free throw, becoming the second player in NBA history to do so, along with Chamberlain.[132]

O'Neal only made one three point shot during his entire career. He made the shot during the 1995–96 NBA season with the Orlando Magic. His career three point shot record is 1 for 22 (a 4.5% career percentage).

On his own half of the hardwood, O'Neal was a capable defender, named three times to the All-NBA Second Defensive Team. His presence intimidated opposing players shooting near the basket, and he averaged 2.3 blocked shots per game over the course of his career.[133]

Phil Jackson believed O'Neal underachieved in his career, saying he "could and should have been the MVP player for 10 consecutive seasons."[134] The Lakers retired his No. 34 jersey on April 2, 2013.[135]

On 26 February 2016, Miami Heat announced that it will retire his No. 32 jersey during the 2016-17 season.[136]

Media personality

O'Neal called himself "The Big Aristotle" and "Hobo Master" for his composure and insights during interviews. Journalists and others gave O'Neal several nicknames including "Shaq", "The Diesel", "Shaq Fu", "The Big Daddy", "Superman", "The Big Agave", "The Big Cactus", "The Big Shaqtus", "The Big Galactus", "Wilt Chamberneezy", "The Big Baryshnikov", "The Real Deal", "The Big Shamrock", "The Big Leprechaun", "Shaqovic",[137][138] and "The Big Conductor".[139] Although he was a favorite interviewee of the press, O'Neal was sensitive and often went weeks without speaking.[140] When he did not want to speak with the press, he employed an interview technique whereby, sitting in front of his cubicle, he would murmur in his low-pitched voice.[140][141]

During the 2000 Screen Actors Guild strike, O'Neal performed in a commercial for Disney. O'Neal was fined by the union for crossing the picket line.[142][143]

O'Neal's humorous and sometimes incendiary comments fueled the Los Angeles Lakers' long-standing rivalry with the Sacramento Kings; O'Neal frequently referred to the Sacramento team as the "Queens."[144][145][146] During the 2002 victory parade, O'Neal declared that Sacramento would never be the capital of California,[147] after the Lakers beat the Kings in a tough seven game series en route to its third championship with O'Neal.

He also received media flak for mocking Chinese people when interviewed about newcomer center Yao Ming. O'Neal told a reporter, "you tell Yao Ming, ching chong yang, wah, ah so."[148] O'Neal later said it was locker-room humor and he meant no offense. Yao believed that O'Neal was joking, but he said a lot of Asians wouldn't see the humor.[149] Yao joked, "Chinese is hard to learn. I had trouble with it when I was little."[150]

During the 2005 NBA playoffs, O'Neal compared his poor play to Erick Dampier,[151] a Dallas Mavericks center who had failed to score a single point in one of their recent games. The quip inspired countless citations and references by announcers during those playoffs, though Dampier himself offered little response to the insult. The two would meet in the 2006 NBA Finals.[152]

O'Neal was very vocal with the media, often making jabs at former Laker teammate Kobe Bryant. In the summer of 2005, when asked about Kobe, he responded, "I'm sorry, who?" and continued to pretend that he did not know who Kobe was until well into the 2005–06 season.[153]

O'Neal also appeared on television on Saturday Night Live and in 2007 hosted Shaq's Big Challenge, a reality show on ABC in which he challenged Florida kids to lose weight and stay in shape.

When the Lakers faced the Heat on January 16, 2006, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, an event that was believed to signify the end of the so-called "Bryant–O'Neal feud" that had festered since the center left Los Angeles. O'Neal was quoted as saying that he accepted the advice of NBA legend Bill Russell to make peace with Bryant.[154] However, on June 22, 2008, O'Neal freestyled a diss rap about Bryant in a New York club. While rapping, O'Neal blamed Kobe for his divorce from his wife Shaunie and claims to have received a vasectomy, as part of a rhyme. He also taunted Bryant for not being able to win a championship without him. O'Neal led the audience to mockingly chant several times "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes."[155] O'Neal justified his act by saying "I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever. That is what MCs do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all."[156] Although even other exponents of hip hop, such as Snoop Dogg, Nas and Cory Gunz, agreed with O'Neal,[157] Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio expressed his intention to relieve O'Neal of his Maricopa County sheriff posse badge, due to "use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language". The racial quote from his song was "it's like a white boy trying to be more nigga than me."[158]

Off the court

Education

O'Neal left LSU for the NBA after three years. However, he promised his mother he would eventually return to his studies and complete his bachelor's degree. He fulfilled that promise in 2000, earning his bachelor of arts in general studies.[159] Coach Phil Jackson let O'Neal miss a home game so he could attend graduation. At the ceremony, he told the crowd "now I can go and get a real job". Subsequently, O'Neal earned an MBA online through the University of Phoenix in 2005. In reference to his completion of his MBA degree, he stated: "It's just something to have on my resume for when I go back into reality. Someday I might have to put down a basketball and have a regular 9-to-5 like everybody else."[160]

Toward the end of his playing career, he began work on an Ed.D. in Human Resource Development at Barry University.[161][162] His doctoral capstone[163][164] topic was "The Duality of Humor and Aggression in Leadership Styles".[161][165] O'Neal received his degree in 2012.[166] O'Neal told a reporter for ABC News that he plans to further his education still by attending law school.[167]

O'Neal has also studied directing and cinematography with the New York Film Academy's Filmmaking Conservatory.[168]

Law enforcement

O'Neal maintained a high level of interest in the workings of police departments and became personally involved in law enforcement. O'Neal went through the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Reserve Academy and became a reserve officer with the Los Angeles Port Police. He appeared in a commercial for ESPN in Miami Police garb climbing a tree to rescue LSU's costumed mascot Mike the Tiger.

On March 2, 2005, O'Neal was given an honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal title and named the spokesman for the Safe Surfin' Foundation; he served an honorary role on the task force of the same name, which tracks down sexual predators who target children on the Internet.[169]

Upon his trade to Miami, O'Neal began training to become a Miami Beach reserve officer. On December 8, 2005, he was sworn in, but elected for a private ceremony to avoid distracting attention from the other officers. He assumed a $1 per year salary in this capacity.[170] Shortly thereafter, in Miami, O'Neal witnessed a hate crime (assaulting a man while calling out homophobic slurs) and called Miami-Dade police, describing the suspect and helping police, over his cell phone, track the offender.[170] O'Neal's actions resulted in the arrest of two suspects on charges of aggravated battery, assault, and a hate crime.[171]

In September 2006, O'Neal took part in a raid on a home in rural Bedford County, Virginia. O'Neal had been made an "honorary deputy" by the local sheriff's department. O'Neal is not qualified as a SWAT officer.[172]

Music career

Shaquille O'Neal
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 1993–2001
Labels Jive, Interscope, A&M, Trauma
Associated acts Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz, DJ Kayslay

Beginning in 1993 O'Neal began to compose rap music. He released five studio albums and 1 compilation album. Although his rapping abilities were criticized at the outset,[173][174] one critic credited him with "progressing as a rapper in small steps, not leaps and bounds".[175] His 1993 debut album, Shaq Diesel, received platinum certification from the RIAA.

O'Neal was featured alongside Michael Jackson as a guest rapper on "2 Bad", a song from Jackson's 1995 album HIStory. O'Neal was also featured in Aaron Carter's 2001 hit single "That's How I Beat Shaq". Shaq also appears on the music video for the release.[176]

Shaquille O'Neal conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra at the Boston Symphony Hall on December 20, 2010.

Acting

Starting with Blue Chips and Kazaam, O'Neal appeared in movies that were panned by some critics.[177][178]

O'Neal appeared as himself on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, bedridden after Larry David's character accidentally tripped him while stretching, and in two episodes each of My Wife and Kids and The Parkers. O'Neal appeared in the 311 music video for the hit single "You Wouldn't Believe" in 2001, in P. Diddy's video for "Bad Boys 4 Life", the video for Aaron Carter's "That's How I Beat Shaq," and the video for Owl City's "Vanilla Twilight". O'Neal appeared in the movie CB4 in a small "interviewing" scene. O'Neal played John Henry Irons/Steel in Steel based on the eponymous superhero. O'Neal appeared in a SportsCenter commercial dressed in his Miami police uniform, rescuing Mike the Tiger from a tree. O'Neal was also a character in the movie Blue Chips with Nick Nolte. O'Neal reportedly wanted a role in the film X2 (the second in the X-Men film series), but was ignored by the filmmakers.[179] O'Neal appeared as Officer Fluzoo in the comedy sequel Grown Ups 2.

He voiced animated versions of himself on several occasions, including in the animated series Static Shock (episode "Static Shaq"), in Johnny Bravo (episode "Back on Shaq"), in Uncle Grandpa (episode "Perfect Kid"), and in The Lego Movie.

Video games

O'Neal was featured on the covers of video games NBA Live 96, NBA 2K6, NBA 2K7, NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC, NBA Hoopz, and NBA Inside Drive 2004.[180][181][182][183] O'Neal appeared in the arcade version of NBA Jam (1993), NBA Jam (2003) and NBA Live 2004 as a current player and as a 1990s All-Star. O'Neal starred in Shaq Fu, a fighting game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. O'Neal also appeared in Backyard Basketball in 2004, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 as a playable boxer, and as an unlockable character in Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. O'Neal was also an unlockable character in UFC Undisputed 2010.[184] At CES 2014, O'Neal confirmed to GamerFitnation that there would be a "Shaq Fu 2" being released soon on next-generation consoles.[185]

Television

O'Neal and his mother, Lucille Harrison, were featured in the documentary film Apple Pie, which aired on ESPN.[186][187] O'Neal had a 2005 reality series on ESPN, Shaquille,[188] and hosted a series called Shaq's Big Challenge on ABC.[189]

O'Neal appeared on NBA Ballers and NBA Ballers: Phenom,[190] in the 2002 Discovery Channel special Motorcycle Mania 2 requesting an exceptionally large bike to fit his large size famed custom motorcycle builder Jesse James,[191] in the first Idol Gives Back in 2007,[192] on an episode of Fear Factor,[193] and on an episode of MTV's Jackass, where he was lifted off the ground on Wee Man's back.[194] O'Neal was a wrestling fan and made appearances at many WWE events.[195]

O'Neal was pranked on the MTV show Punk'd when a crew member accused him of stealing his parking space. After O'Neal and his wife went into a restaurant, Ashton Kutcher's crew members let the air out of O'Neal's tires. O'Neal and the crew member then got into an altercation and after Kutcher told O'Neal he had been Punk'd, O'Neal made an obscene gesture at the camera.[196][197]

O'Neal starred in a reality show called Shaq Vs. which premiered on August 18, 2009, on ABC.[198] The show featured O'Neal competing against other athletes at their own sports.[199]

On July 14, 2011, O'Neal announced that he would join Turner Network Television (TNT) as an analyst on its NBA basketball games, joining Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.[200]

He hosted the show Upload with Shaquille O'Neal which aired on TruTV for one season.

In September 2015 whilst promoting sportswear giant Reebok in South Korea, O'Neal joined the cast in the South Korean variety television show Off to School where he went to Seo Incheon High School. The show features various celebrities attending a selected high school as students for three days.[201] The producer of the show, Kim No Eun said, “We’ve worked hard on our guest list this season, so Chu Sung Hoon will be appearing on a cable channel for the first time. Shaquille O’Neal will be on the show as well. We succeeded in casting him after a lot of effort. O’Neal will be visiting Korea for a promotion and will be visiting the school on the last day. He will have lunch with the students. We’re even preparing a big match between Chu Sung Hoon and Shaquille O’Neal. We’re specially preparing a uniform for Shaquille O’Neal.”[202][203][204]

Advertising

Shaq has made numerous appearances in television commercials, including several Pepsi commercials, such as one from 1995 which parodied shows like I Love Lucy (the "Job Switching" episode), Bonanza, and Woody Woodpecker; various 1990s Reebok commercials; Nestlé Crunch commercials; Gold Bond products; and IcyHot commercials.

Mixed martial arts

O'Neal began training in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2000. At Jonathan Burke's Gracie Gym, he trained in boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling. At the gym, he used the nickname Diesel.[205] O'Neal challenged kickboxer and mixed martial artist Choi Hong-man to a mixed martial arts rules bout in a YouTube video posted on June 17, 2009. Hong-man replied to an email asking him if he would like to fight O'Neal saying "Yes, if there is a chance." Hong-man also responded to a question asking if O'Neal had a chance of winning with a simple "No."[206] On August 28, 2010 at UFC 118 in Boston, O'Neal reiterated his desire to fight Choi in an interview.[207]

Professional wrestling

A lifelong professional wrestling fan, O'Neal has made numerous appearances at televised events over the years for three different promotions.

In 1994, O'Neal made several appearances in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), including at the Bash at the Beach pay per view, where he presented the title belt to the winner of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship match between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.[208]

In July 2009, O'Neal served as the guest host for a live broadcast of WWE's Monday Night Raw. As part of the show, O'Neal got into a physical altercation with seven-foot tall wrestler Big Show.[209]

In September 2012, O'Neal made a guest appearance on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Impact Wrestling program, where he had a backstage segment with Hulk Hogan.[210]

In April 2016, O'Neal participated in his first ever match, when he was a surprise celebrity entry in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. O'Neal eliminated Damien Sandow, and had another confrontation with Big Show before being eliminated himself by most of the other wrestlers.[211]

Business ventures

O'Neal is also an active businessman and investor. He was an active bond investor in the early 1990s but continued to wade into stocks and made investments in various companies such as General Electric, Apple, and PepsiCo. He described what has worked best for him in stock investing was where he felt a personal connection with the company.[212] He has also been an active real estate entrepreneur. O'Neal was looking to expand his business ventures with real-estate development projects aimed at assisting Orlando home owners facing foreclosure. His plans involved buying the mortgages of those who had fallen into foreclosure and then selling the homes back to them under more affordable terms. He would make a small profit in return, but wanted to make an investment in Orlando and help out homeowners.[213]

In conjunction with Boraie Development O'Neal has developed two projects in his native Newark, CityPlex12 and One Riverview [214][215][216][217] [218] and a potential project in Atlantic City.[219][220][221]

O'Neal is on the advisory board for Tout Industries, a social video service startup company based in San Francisco.[116] He received the position in return for breaking news of his NBA retirement on the service.[222]

In September 2013, O'Neal became a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings.[223]

In June 2015, O'Neal invested in technology startup Loyale3 Holdings Inc., a San Francisco brokerage firm whose website and mobile app enables companies to sell a piece of their IPOs directly to small investors who put up as a little as $100 and also allows investors to regularly buy small amounts of shares in already public companies.[212]

Personal life

O'Neal at the 2009 NBA All-Star game

O'Neal was raised by a Baptist mother and a Muslim stepfather.[224] Both Robin Wright in her book Rock the Casbah as well as the Los Angeles Times have identified O'Neal as a Muslim.[225][226][227] However, O'Neal has said, "I'm Muslim, I'm Jewish, I'm Buddhist, I'm everybody 'cause I'm a people person."[228]

He married Shaunie Nelson on December 26, 2002. The couple have four children (Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me'arah), and Nelson has one son from a previous relationship (Myles). In 2015, Shareef was seen in high school basketball highlights as a 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) or 6-foot-8-inch (2.03 m) freshman, and had been described to have "polar opposite playing style to his father".[229][230] O'Neal also has a daughter from a previous relationship with his ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yarbourgh (Taheara).[231] On September 4, 2007, O'Neal filed for divorce from Shaunie in a Miami-Dade Circuit court. Shaunie later said that the couple had gotten back together and that the divorce was withdrawn. However, on November 10, 2009, Shaunie filed an intent to divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[232] In summer 2010, O'Neal began dating reality TV star Nikki "Hoopz" Alexander.[233][234] The couple resided at O'Neal's home in Sudbury, Massachusetts.[235]

O'Neal is a 2009 inductee of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[236] O'Neal became a Freemason in 2011, becoming a member of Widow's Son Lodge No. 28 in Boston.[237] O'Neal is a Freemason of the Prince Hall appendant body.[238][239][240]

In his mansion in Orlando, Florida, O'Neal built a homemade movie theater with two rows of five retractable chairs, Superman lights, another Superman symbol on the floor, a big screen, another Superman symbol on his blanket, and 5.1 surround sound. O'Neal also created an indoor basketball court.

When Hall of Fame center George Mikan died in June 2005, O'Neal extended an offer to his family to pay all of the funeral expenses, which they accepted.[241]

O'Neal is a fan of the National Hockey League's New Jersey Devils, who play in his hometown of Newark, and has been seen at several games over the years.[242] On January 11, 2014 O'Neal performed the ceremonial first puck and drove a Zamboni for a game between the Devils and the Florida Panthers.[243] O'Neal is also a fan of English football club Northampton Town, and has posted videos of support to their official YouTube page.[244]

O'Neal endorsed Republican New Jersey governor Chris Christie in his 2013 reelection bid, appearing in a television advertisement.[245]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
† Denotes seasons in which O'Neal won an NBA championship
Led the league

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1992–93 Orlando 81 81 37.9 .562 .000 .592 13.9 1.9 .7 3.5 23.4
1993–94 Orlando 81 81 39.8 .599 .000 .554 13.2 2.4 .9 2.9 29.3
1994–95 Orlando 79 79 37.0 .583 .000 .533 11.4 2.7 .9 2.4 29.3
1995–96 Orlando 54 52 36.0 .573 .500 .487 11.0 2.9 .6 2.1 26.6
1996–97 L.A. Lakers 51 51 38.1 .557 .000 .484 12.5 3.1 .9 2.9 26.2
1997–98 L.A. Lakers 60 57 36.3 .584 .000 .527 11.4 2.4 .7 2.4 28.3
1998–99 L.A. Lakers 49 49 34.8 .576 .000 .540 10.7 2.3 .7 1.7 26.3
1999–00† L.A. Lakers 79 79 40.0 .574 .000 .524 13.6 3.8 .5 3.0 29.7
2000–01† L.A. Lakers 74 74 39.5 .572 .000 .513 12.7 3.7 .6 2.8 28.7
2001–02† L.A. Lakers 67 66 36.1 .579 .000 .555 10.7 3.0 .6 2.0 27.2
2002–03 L.A. Lakers 67 66 37.8 .574 .000 .622 11.1 3.1 .6 2.4 27.5
2003–04 L.A. Lakers 67 67 36.8 .584 .000 .490 11.5 2.9 .5 2.5 21.5
2004–05 Miami 73 73 34.1 .601 .000 .461 10.4 2.7 .5 2.3 22.9
2005–06† Miami 59 58 30.6 .600 .000 .469 9.2 1.9 .4 1.8 20.0
2006–07 Miami 40 39 28.4 .591 .000 .422 7.4 2.0 .2 1.4 17.3
2007–08 Miami 33 33 28.6 .581 .000 .494 7.8 1.4 .6 1.6 14.2
2007–08 Phoenix 28 28 28.7 .611 .000 .513 10.6 1.7 .5 1.2 12.9
2008–09 Phoenix 75 75 30.0 .609 .000 .595 8.4 1.7 .6 1.4 17.8
2009–10 Cleveland 53 53 23.4 .566 .000 .496 6.7 1.5 .3 1.2 12.0
2010–11 Boston 37 36 20.3 .667 .000 .557 4.8 .7 .4 1.1 9.2
Career 1,207 1,197 34.7 .582 .045 .527 10.9 2.5 .6 2.3 23.7
All-Star 12 9 22.8 .551 .000 .452 8.1 1.4 1.1 1.6 16.8

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1994 Orlando 3 3 42.0 .511 .000 .471 13.3 2.3 .7 3.0 20.7
1995 Orlando 21 21 38.3 .577 .000 .571 11.9 3.3 .9 1.9 25.7
1996 Orlando 12 12 38.3 .606 .000 .393 10.0 4.6 .8 1.3 25.8
1997 L.A. Lakers 9 9 36.2 .514 .000 .610 10.6 3.2 .6 1.9 26.9
1998 L.A. Lakers 13 13 38.5 .612 .000 .503 10.2 2.9 .5 2.6 30.5
1999 L.A. Lakers 8 8 39.4 .510 .000 .466 11.6 2.3 .9 2.9 26.6
2000† L.A. Lakers 23 23 43.5 .566 .000 .456 15.4 3.1 .6 2.4 30.7
2001† L.A. Lakers 16 16 42.3 .555 .000 .525 15.4 3.2 .4 2.4 30.4
2002† L.A. Lakers 19 19 40.8 .529 .000 .649 12.6 2.8 .5 2.5 28.5
2003 L.A. Lakers 12 12 40.1 .535 .000 .621 14.8 3.7 .6 2.8 27.0
2004 L.A. Lakers 22 22 41.7 .593 .000 .429 13.2 2.5 .3 2.8 21.5
2005 Miami 13 13 33.2 .558 .000 .472 7.8 1.9 .4 1.5 19.4
2006† Miami 23 23 33.0 .612 .000 .374 9.8 1.7 .5 1.5 18.4
2007 Miami 4 4 30.3 .559 .000 .333 8.5 1.3 .3 1.5 18.8
2008 Phoenix 5 5 30.0 .440 .000 .500 9.2 1.0 1.0 2.6 15.2
2010 Cleveland 11 11 22.1 .516 .000 .660 5.5 1.4 .2 1.2 11.5
2011 Boston 2 0 6.0 .500 .000 .000 .0 .5 .5 .0 1.0
Career 216 214 37.5 .563 .000 .504 11.6 2.7 .5 2.1 24.3

Discography

Filmography

Television

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. ↑ Roth, Mark. March 3, 2006, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Male Hollywood stars don't stand as tall as we imagine". Accessed September 8, 2012.
  2. ↑ Yahoo Sports
  3. ↑ Is, Bresnahan. "Shaquille O'Neal traded to Cleveland Cavaliers for 3 players, cash". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  4. ↑ Zillgitt, Jeff (August 5, 2010). "Void filled: 15-time All-Star Shaquille O'Neal to Celtics". USA Today. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 "Shaquille O'Neal NBA & ABA Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  6. ↑ http://www.podcastone.com/the-big-podcast-with-shaq
  7. ↑ "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Announcement presented by Haggar Clothing Company". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Shaquille O'Neal Biography (1972–)". filmreference.com.
  9. 1 2 Plaschke, Bill (June 12, 2002). "'Biological Didn't Bother'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  10. ↑ Ryan, Michael (February 13, 2000). "Where They Gave Me A Chance". Parade. Retrieved March 21, 2006.
  11. ↑ "Shaq sets bar high for Young Lives, BIG Stories campaign | Article | The United States Army". Army.mil. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  12. ↑ "Key Moments In Shaquille O'neal History". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. July 11, 2004. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  13. ↑ Bill McMurray, Texas High School All-Time Sports Record Book, 6th Edition.
  14. 1 2 Shaquille Shows Class In Switching To No. 32
  15. ↑ "Wilkins Honored as One of 35 Greatest McDonald's All Americans". NBA. January 31, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  16. ↑ "O'Neal to get degree from LSU". The Daily Texan. December 12, 2000. Archived from the original on June 3, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
  17. ↑ barrystickets.com (2007). O'Neal: LSU Hall of Fame. Retrieved on March 3, 2007 from http://www.barrystickets.com/lakers/lakers-players/shaquille-oneal.php.
  18. ↑ Athletic Department. "LSU Basketball Practice Facility - LSUsports.net - The Official Web Site of LSU Tigers Athletics". LSUsports.net. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  19. ↑ Luke, Chelsea. (April 28, 2015). "College triple-double header: Kyle Collinsworth versus Shaquille O’Neal". Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Michael Carter-Williams Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week".
  21. ↑ "MAGIC: Magic History". NBA.com/magic. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
  22. ↑ McCallum, Jack (March 3, 1997). "The Young And The Feckless". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. On more than one occasion during O'Neal's rookie season of 1992–93, I heard him say of his then coach, "We've got to get Matty [Guokas] out of here and bring in Brian."
  23. ↑ "Hill Is Named Coach of Magic". The New York Times. July 1, 1993. Retrieved November 6, 2010. Matt Guokas, who coached the Orlando Magic to the National Basketball Association's most improved record last season, was replaced today by an assistant, Brian Hill, and was reassigned to the front office as Orlando's vice president of basketball development.
  24. ↑ "Shaquille O'Neal 1993–94 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  25. ↑ 1994-95: Magic Stake Claim To "Beast Of East" Mantle
  26. 1 2 3 MacMullan, Jackie (July 1, 1996). "Poof! Shaquille O'Neal is among a host of NBA free agents who could vanish from their teams". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. It asked whether the Magic should fire coach Brian Hill if that were one of O'Neal's conditions for returning. An overwhelming 82% answered no.
  27. 1 2 3 Wojnarowski, Adrian (June 2, 2009). "Shaq’s legacy binds Magic, Lakers". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. The poll appeared as Shaq and the Olympic basketball team trained in town.
  28. 1 2 Reilly, Rick (April 21, 1997). "Shaq's world". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. He hated the power struggle with his coach, Brian Hill.
  29. 1 2 Blinebury, Fran (July 1, 2010). "Magic are proof that wounds from star's departure do heal". NBA.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. There were occasional gripes at coach Brian Hill.
  30. ↑ O'Neal, Shaquille (2002). Shaq Talks Back. St. Martin's Paperbacks. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-312-98259-1. Retrieved November 7, 2010. We just didn't respect him. Sometimes he went from nice to hardcore and people were looking around, like, 'This ain't the guy we know.'
  31. ↑ O'Neal, Shaquille (2002). Shaq Talks Back. St. Martin's Paperbacks. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-312-98259-1. Retrieved November 14, 2010. When I was in Orlando, I really felt like a big fish in a small, dried-up pond. No matter what I did, it got talked about, until I couldn't really live my life.
  32. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, pp. 104–5, 108, 110.
  33. ↑ "NBA – Lakers Sign O'Neal Raise Ticket Prices". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. July 18, 1996.
  34. ↑ "Shaq signs multi-million contract with LA Lakers". Manila Standard. July 20, 1996. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  35. ↑ Araton, Harvey (July 19, 1996). "Sports of The Times;Shaq Is Now California Dreamin'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2010. So is greed, Michael Douglas once argued as Gordon Gekko, though O'Neal's changing coasts and uniforms is not about money. We repeat: not about money.
  36. ↑ Elliot, Stuart (November 4, 1993). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING – ADDENDA; Sports Products Deal For Shaquille O'Neal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2010. The athlete's other product agreements include Pepsi-Cola and Reebok.
  37. ↑ "1997 Playoff Results". NBA.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  38. ↑ Stein, Marc (December 19, 1996). "O'Neal wanted to pack more offensive punch". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  39. ↑ "1998 Playoff Results". NBA.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  40. ↑ Kreigel, Mark (May 18, 2011). "Jackson shares thoughts on final season". FoxSports.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2011.
  41. ↑ . Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Shaq, Barkley scuffle, are ejected". Associated Press. November 11, 1999. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  43. ↑ . Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Lakers hold off Sixers, 96–91". Amarillo Globe-News. Associated Press. June 11, 2001. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. The 76ers trailed from the second quarter on and missed their one and only chance to tie the game when Allen Iverson could make only one of two free throws with 2:06 left – 15 seconds after O'Neal drew his sixth foul for backing over Dikembe Mutombo.
  45. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Tim (August 14, 2002). "O'Neal Surgery Is Likely". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010. A month before last training camp he had surgery to correct a claw toe deformity in the smallest toe of his left foot.
  46. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 153.
  47. ↑ "Shaq to be sacked". Sports Illustrated. January 13, 2002.
  48. ↑ Ira Berkow (January 16, 2002). "Sports of The Times; N.B.A. Needs To Hit Shaq Much Harder". The New York Times.
  49. ↑ McCallum, Jack (June 3, 2002). "Trading blows and barbs, big men Vlade Divac and Shaquille O'Neal have turned the Western finals into comic opera". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. There was some head-scratching before it was divined that O'Neal meant "cheat" and not something either X-rated or far out, like "covenant" or "coronet."
  50. 1 2 3 "Shaquille O'Neal Bio Page". NBA. Retrieved June 1, 2011. sat out the first 12 games of the season (Oct. 29-Nov. 22) on the Injured List recovering from off-season foot surgery
  51. 1 2 O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 155.
  52. 1 2 Ventre, Mark (December 12, 2005). "It looks like Shaq's reshuffling Heat house". NBCSports.com. Retrieved October 13, 2010. Remember, this is the same Shaquille O’Neal who, while with the Lakers, once waited all summer to have his injured toe operated on, then did so just before training camp and explained, “I got hurt on company time, so I’ll heal on company time.”
  53. ↑ "2002–03 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  54. ↑ Lazenby, Roland (2006). The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It. New York City: McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 421. ISBN 978-0-07-143034-0. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  55. ↑ "Kobe critical of Shaq's leadership". ESPN. October 28, 2003. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  56. ↑ Lazenby 2006, p. 428.
  57. ↑ "Shaq happy, Lakers in shock after trade". NBC. July 15, 2004. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  58. ↑ Lazenby 2006, p. 434.
  59. ↑ "2004–05 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball Reference. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  60. ↑ Robbins, Liz (December 27, 2005). "BASKETBALL; Riley, Advocating for O'Neal, Objects to the 'Sumo' Defense". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010. The criticism O'Neal and others had for Van Gundy after the Heat's loss to Detroit in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season was that he did not call enough plays for O'Neal.
  61. ↑ "Shaq makes long-term plans in Miami". Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  62. ↑ Shaq Quotes. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  63. ↑ "Kobe or Shaq: Who Has Been More Important To Their Teams Over the Years?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  64. 1 2 Kraczkowski, Kevin. "Miami Heat Player Countdown: 15. Shaquille O'Neal". (October 7, 2013). Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  65. 1 2 "Heat Playoff History 2006". Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  66. ↑ "Knicks take advantage of Shaq-less heat with blowout". ESPN. Associated Press. November 17, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2010. Starting with Shaquille O'Neal's left knee, the Miami Heat are hurting.
  67. ↑ "Shaq, Wade return in Heat's OT loss to Pacers". ESPN. Associated Press. January 24, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2010. O'Neal, who came off the bench after missing 35 games while recovering from knee surgery, finished with five points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.
  68. ↑ "Shaq rips Jackson as 'Benedict Arnold'". NBC Sports. December 26, 2006. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2010. "How can Benedict Arnold be reliable in what he says?" O'Neal said Monday after the Miami Heat's 101–85 victory over the Lakers, the Los Angeles Times reported.
  69. 1 2 3 . Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  70. ↑ Thorpe, David. (March 3, 2007). "Scouting breakdown: Can Shaq carry the Heat?". Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  71. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011 p. 206.
  72. ↑ O'Neal, Shaquille; MacMullan, Jackie (2011). Shaq Uncut: My Story. Grand Central Publishing. pp. 210–11. ISBN 978-1-4555-0441-1.
  73. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 212.
  74. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, pp. 215–16.
  75. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 216.
  76. ↑ Ludden, Johnny (February 6, 2008). "Suns, Heat agree to Shaq trade". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved November 13, 2010. In a move that could signify a dramatic change to their go-go-go, let-it-fly style of play, the Phoenix Suns acquired former All-Star center Shaquille O’Neal from the Miami Heat on Wednesday for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.
  77. ↑ "Daily Dime: Shaq gets the spotlight, while Kobe gets the game". ESPN .com. February 21, 2008.
  78. 1 2 Shaquille O'Neal career stats and splits NBA.com
  79. ↑ Austin Burton. "Why Shaq? Here's Why". dimemag.com.
  80. ↑ "Riley bothered by Shaq's criticism of Heat players, staff". ESPN. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2010. We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I'm actually on a team again.
  81. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan p. 221.
  82. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan p. 213.
  83. ↑ "Player profile – Shaquille O'Neal". yahoo.com.
  84. ↑ "Magic's Van Gundy calls out Shaq for flopping". ESPN. Associated Press. March 3, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2010. I was shocked, seriously, shocked," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of O'Neal's flopping. "And very disappointed cause he knows what it's like. Let's stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight.
  85. ↑ Sheridan, Chris (March 5, 2009). "Shaq rips Van Gundy for flop comment". ESPN. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. "Flopping is playing like that your whole career. I was trying to take the charge, trying to get a call. It probably was a flop, but flopping is the wrong use of words. Flopping would describe his coaching," O'Neal said, steering the conversation back to Van Gundy.
  86. ↑ Madsen, Mark (March 7, 2009). "What is a flop?". MarkMadsen.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. So, this whole commotion about whether or not Shaq’s play against Dwight Howard was a flop is so funny because everyone in the league tries to flop on Shaq and Shaq never flops back.
  87. ↑ Gregory, Sean (October 30, 2006). "10 Questions for Shaquille O'Neal". Time. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. Make a guy have to beat a guy—not flop and get calls and be nice to the referees and kiss ass.
  88. ↑ Friedman, Jason (March 6, 2009). "Clash Of The Titans". Rockets.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. “It’s not going to be man-on-man, so don’t even try that,” says O’Neal with an incredulous laugh.
  89. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 213.
  90. ↑ "Cavaliers Acquire 15-Time NBA All-Star and Four-Time NBA Champion Shaquille ONeal". NBA.com. June 25, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  91. ↑ The Shaq Show: O'Neal Wants a Ring for the King
  92. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, pp. 234–37.
  93. ↑ "Cleveland Cavaliers' Shaquille O'Neal leaves game with 'significant thumb injury". Associated Press. February 25, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  94. ↑ "The Game Happens Here". NBA.com. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  95. ↑ Washburn, Gary (September 19, 2010). "Grousbeck’s faith goes right down to the core". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 14, 2010. "The minute I heard Kobe [Bryant] say he had one more ring than Shaq, I said to Danny, ‘Let’s go get Shaq,’ and it happened," said Grousbeck.
  96. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, pp. 243–44.
  97. ↑ Boston Celtics (August 4, 2010). "Celtics Sign Shaquille O'Neal". NBA.com/Celtics.
  98. ↑ Washburn, Gary (August 5, 2010). "Shaq aboard for two years". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010. All Ainge had to offer was the veteran minimum of $1.35 million, and O’Neal compromised by accepting that on a two-year deal.
  99. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 241.
  100. ↑ Beck, Howard (July 23, 2010). "Multiple Nicknames; Dwindling Openings". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010. The Dallas Mavericks had interest, but balked at O’Neal’s salary demands.
  101. ↑ Cunningham, Michael (August 5, 2010). "Atlanta Hawks: No Shaq . . . now what?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on November 17, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010. Atlanta also wasn’t willing to pay Shaq more than the minimum and that was a sticking point for him.
  102. ↑ Shaughnessy, Dan (August 11, 2010). "A large addition to Celtics' sizeable history – The Boston Globe". www.boston.com. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  103. 1 2 MacMullan, Jackie (September 27, 2010). "Shaq ready to leave mark in Boston". ESPN. Retrieved October 14, 2010. But I don't compete with little guards. I don't compete with little guys who run around dominating the ball, throwing up 30 shots a night – like D-Wade, Kobe.
  104. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 244.
  105. 1 2 3 May, Peter (April 11, 2011). "Celtics Creak Toward Postseason, Hoping They Have Legs for a Run". The New York Times. p. D7. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011.
  106. ↑ Forsberg, Chris (November 11, 2010). "Shaquille O'Neal starts vs. Heat". ESPNBoston.com. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  107. ↑ Forsberg, Chris (December 19, 2010). "Celtics get Shaquille O'Neal back". ESPNBoston.com. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  108. ↑ Forsberg, Chris (January 22, 2011). "Shaquille O'Neal injures hip". ESPNBoston.com. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  109. ↑ Payne, Greg (March 7, 2011). "Shaq says he's 85 percent; out another week". ESPNBoston.com. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  110. ↑ Payne, Greg (May 16, 2011). "Doc Rivers: Timing of trade was off". ESPNBoston.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011.
  111. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan p. 256.
  112. ↑ "Amare Stoudemire back as Celts' reserves top Knicks' second string". ESPN. Associated Press. April 13, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011. Shaquille O'Neal, who has played 5 minutes, 29 seconds since Feb. 1, also sat out.
  113. ↑ Forsberg, Chris (May 18, 2011). "Report card: Shaquille O'Neal". ESPNBoston.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011.
  114. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan p. 257.
  115. ↑ "Shaq announces retirement on web". ESPN. June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  116. 1 2 Olivarez-Giles, Nathan (June 1, 2011). "Shaq announces NBA retirement on Twitter, using Tout iPhone app". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011.
  117. ↑ Reynolds, Tim (June 3, 2011). "Shaq moving on to the next chapter—retirement". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  118. ↑ ESPN
  119. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 112.
  120. ↑ Jackie MacMullan The NBA, Sports Illustrated, March 29, 1999.
  121. ↑ SCOTT HOWARD-COOPER and TIM KAWAKAMI O'Neal, Bryant Still Possible for Olympics, Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2000.
  122. ↑ Chris Sheridan Weight of the world leans on U.S. team, The Seattle Times, September 2, 2002.
  123. ↑ Marc Stein Team USA carousel continues, ESPN, May 29, 2004.
  124. ↑ AP Colangelo says Shaq not ruling out Olympics, ESPN, January 7, 2006.
  125. ↑ Michael Cunningham Full Summer Gives U.s. Players More Than A Workout, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 21, 2006.
  126. ↑ "SUNS: Shaq on Board". NBA.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  127. ↑ "Career Leaders and Records for Field Goal Pct". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  128. ↑ "Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs - Recap - April 29, 2008". ESPN. April 29, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  129. ↑ Through the 2004–2005 season. "Regular Season Records: Free Throws". NBA.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  130. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 139.
  131. ↑ "Career Leaders and Records for Free Throw Attempts –". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  132. ↑ Bob Baum (December 25, 2008). "Mason's 3-pointer gives Spurs 91–90 win over Suns". nba.com. Associated Press.
  133. ↑ Benjamin, Josh. (September 21, 2012). "5 Things Dwight Howard Does Better Than Shaquille O'Neal Ever Did With The LA Lakers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  134. ↑ Medina, Mark (June 1, 2011). "Shaquille O'Neal's retirement brings reflections on his legacy with the Lakers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2011.
  135. ↑ Eric Pincus (April 2, 2013). "Lakers retire Shaquille O'Neal's jersey". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  136. ↑ "Shaq Now Among Small Group Of Athletes Whose Numbers Have Been Retired By Multiple Teams". Shaq. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  137. ↑ Mike Bresnahan & Robyn Norwood (June 12, 2007). "Bank shot could pay off for Shaq". Los Angeles Times.
  138. ↑ Jack McCallum (December 10, 2002). "Inside the NBA – SI's Jack McCallum: Sizing up Shaq". CNNSI.com.
  139. ↑ Geof Harris (December 18, 2010). "Shaq Diesel: Never Say Never Again". the low post news.
  140. 1 2 Heisler, Mark (June 1, 2011). "Shaquille O'Neal was not always the most dominating, but always the most fun". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2011.
  141. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p.205
  142. ↑ Dave McNary (June 23, 2000). "Admen strike back against SAG/AFTRA". Variety.
  143. ↑ "Sports stars break Hollywood strike". BBC News. June 22, 2000.
  144. ↑ Tim Povtak (November 5, 2002). "Kings Come Out Fighting". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  145. ↑ Marc Narducci (April 19, 2003). "Kings Eyeing Crown, not L.A.". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  146. ↑ "Shaq was more than a dominant player". Sacramento Bee. June 1, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  147. ↑ Mark Medina (June 2, 2011). "Top 5 Shaq moments as a Laker". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  148. ↑ Guillermo, Emil (January 14, 2003). "Shaq's Apology Not Good Enough". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 25, 2010. Perhaps we should put it in terms Shaq might understand: If a white comedian imitated Shaq by making monkey sounds while eating fried chicken and watermelon, would the point be clearer?
  149. ↑ Vecsey, George (January 12, 2003). "Sports of The Times; Fans in Shanghai Are Voting in the Mainstream". New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2010. Yao quickly said: "The world is getting smaller, and I think it's important to have a greater understanding of other cultures. I believe Shaquille O'Neal was joking, but I think that a lot of Asian people don't understand that kind of joke."
  150. ↑ Brown, Tim (January 10, 2003). "Tall tale? Shaq says Yao comments were said in jest". SI.com (CNN). Associated Press. Retrieved August 25, 2010. "Chinese is hard to learn. I had trouble with it when I was little," Yao joked.
  151. ↑ "Shaq: 'I've been playing like Erick Dampier'". ESPN. May 13, 2005. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  152. ↑ "NBA.com: Finals 2006". ESPN. 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  153. ↑ An A-to-Z remembrance of Shaq's career—basketball and (mostly) otherwise - Sports Illustrated, CNN
  154. ↑ "Miami vs. Los Angeles – Recap". ESPN. Associated Press. January 16, 2006.
  155. ↑ "Shaq Attacks Kobe: You Ruined My Marriage". TMZ. June 23, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  156. ↑ "Shaq takes a freestyle swipe at Kobe". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 23, 2008.
  157. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (June 24, 2008). "Snoop Dogg, Nas, Cory Gunz See Nothing Wrong With Shaquille O'Neal's Anti-Kobe Freestyle". "MTV.com.
  158. ↑ "Shaq booted from sheriff's 'posse' for Kobe rap". The San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. June 24, 2008.
  159. ↑ "O'Neal to get degree from LSU". Associated Press. August 6, 2004.
  160. ↑ "The Big Executive? Shaq masters MBA". MSNBC. Associated Press. June 26, 2005.
  161. 1 2 The New York Times (2010). Questions For Shaquille O'Neal – Hoop Dreams – Interview. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  162. ↑ Barry University (2010). Educational Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Human Resource Development, Barry University. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  163. ↑ Gus Garcia-Roberts (April 19, 2012). "Shaquille O'Neal, Barry University Student, Is Not Actually Doing a Dissertation". Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  164. ↑ "Shaquille O’Neal and ADSOE Faculty". Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  165. ↑ page 3 of Shira Springer (August 29, 2010). "BIG man on campus". The Boston Globe.
  166. ↑ Lateef Mungin (May 5, 2012). "Shaquille O'Neal to receive doctorate degree". CNN.
  167. ↑ Knaub, Kelly (May 6, 2012). "Shaquille O'Neal earns Doctorate". ABC Radio News website. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  168. ↑ "Shaquille O'Neal set to graduate from New York Film Academy: NBA star wants to be a director". Daily News. August 16, 2011.
  169. ↑ "Going undercover -Shaq helps task force track Internet sex predators". SI.com. May 25, 2005.
  170. 1 2 "Shaq sworn in as reserve police officer". NBCSports.com. Associated Press. December 10, 2005.
  171. ↑ "Second Man Arrested After Tip From Shaquille O'Neal". November 3, 2005. Archived from the original on July 17, 2009.
  172. ↑ Rise of the Warrior Cop by Radley Balko, PublicAffairs, 2013, Kindle Location 5188
  173. ↑ "Shaq Diesel". allmusicguide.com.
  174. ↑ "You Can't Stop the Reign". ew.com. December 13, 1996.
  175. ↑ "Shaquille O'Neal Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1" review allmusicguide.com
  176. ↑ Adi Joseph (March 6, 2013). "Shaq finally gets revenge on Aaron Carter". USA Today. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  177. ↑ "Blue Chips (1994) – Film Review from". Film4. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  178. ↑ "Kazaam Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  179. ↑ Army Archerd (August 23, 2001). "Touchy topic addressed in upcoming pix". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
  180. ↑ "The NBA Live Wiki - Covers".
  181. ↑ "Shaq to Grace Cover of NBA 2K6". IGN. August 15, 2005. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  182. ↑ G., Matt. "Shaq Stays as Cover Athlete for NBA 2K7". Planet Xbox 360. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  183. ↑ "Midway Games Signs Shaquille O'Neal for NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC". October 7, 1999. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  184. ↑ Cernea, Mihail (May 26, 2010). "Shaquille O'Neal Is a Playable Fighter in UFC Undisputed 2010". Softpedia. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  185. ↑ Bridge, Zachary. "CES 2014: Shaq Confirms Shaq Fu 2 "Coming Soon" #ShaqFu2". GamerFitnation. GamerFitnation. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  186. ↑ "Shaquille O'Neal & Lucille Harrison". applepiemovie.com. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  187. ↑ ""Apple Pie" and mom on Mother's Day". ESPN. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  188. ↑ "Shaquille (TV series 2005)". IMDb. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  189. ↑ "Shaq's Big Challenge (2007)". IMDb. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  190. ↑ "NBA Ballers: Phenom Characters". giantbomb.com. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  191. ↑ "Motorcycle Mania 2 (2004)". blockbuster.com.
  192. ↑ Caruso, Andrea. "American Idol's Ryan Seacrest Gives Back to Idol Gives Back". voices.yahoo.com. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  193. ↑ Blackmon, Joe. "Shaquille O’Neal On Fear Factor". Reality TV Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  194. ↑ "Jackass | Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna". mtv.ca. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  195. ↑ "Shaq takes out Big Show on Raw". wwe.com. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  196. ↑ "Punk'd - Season 5 - Episode 8". muchmusic.com. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  197. ↑ Shaquille O'Neal at the Internet Movie Database
  198. ↑ Levin, Gary (July 20, 2009). "O'Neal courts competition on new reality show 'Shaq Vs.'". USA Today. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  199. ↑ "Shaq to star in TV sports reality series – NBA – ESPN". ESPN. July 21, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  200. ↑ Shaq (July 14, 2011). "Life's Moments". TOUT. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  201. ↑ Kang, Byeong-jin. "NBA 스타 샤킬 오닐, '학교 다녀오겠습니다' 출연한다". Huffington Post Korea. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  202. ↑ "Shaquille O’Neal and Chu Sung Hoon to Guest on "Off to School"". soompi. August 12, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  203. ↑ Smiley, Brett (September 2, 2015). "Watch: Shaq fist-bumps giddy students in return to high school on Korean TV show". foxsports. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  204. ↑ Heck, Jordan (September 2, 2015). "Shaq became high school student for Korean TV show". sportingnews. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  205. ↑ Hendricks, Maggie (May 6, 2009). "Shaquille O'Neal: hoopster, twitter fan, MMA fighter?". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  206. ↑ "Hong Man Choi Accepts Shaquille O'Neal's Mixed Martial Arts Challenge – MMA Fighting". Mma.fanhouse.com. October 21, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  207. ↑ "Shaquille O'Neal Takes in UFC 118 Still Wants to Fight Hong Man Choi". www.mmafighting.com. August 28, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  208. ↑ Portrait of O'Neal and Hogan - Uproxx.com
  209. ↑ O'Neal hosts Monday Night Raw - Yahoo.com
  210. ↑ O'Neal appears on Impact Wresting - PW Torch.com
  211. ↑ WrestleMania 32 Review - 411 Mania.com
  212. 1 2 TELIS DEMOS (June 12, 2015). "Shaq Attacks IPO Access, Invests in Loyal3". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  213. ↑ Schlueb, Mark (June 11, 2008). "Shaq: I can help homeowners fight off foreclosure". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  214. ↑ "One River View at Rector". Emporis. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  215. ↑ Haddon, Heather (September 26, 2013). "Star Comes Home to Build in Newark Shaquille O'Neal in Real Estate Development Partnership". Wall Street Journal.
  216. ↑ Munson, John (September 27, 2013). "Shaq comes back to Newark to break ground for city's first high-rise apartment in more than 50 years". The Star-Ledger.
  217. ↑ "Booker, Shaquille O’Neal and other dignitaries break ground on new high-rise apartments". Essex News Daily. September 30, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  218. ↑ "NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY : Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Program : Approved Projects" (PDF). Mjeda.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  219. ↑ "CRDA supports nearly $100M in Atlantic City projects - Press of Atlantic City: Atlantic City | Pleasantville | Brigantine". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  220. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20140322195702/http://www.nbc40.net/story/24246999/crda-moving-towards-south-inlet-redevelopment. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  221. ↑ *Please enter your name. (2013-12-19). "More Development Ahead for Atlantic City [AUDIO]". Nj1015.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  222. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, pp. 263–4.
  223. ↑ Shaquille O'Neal buys a stake in the Sacramento Kings
  224. ↑ Jack McCallum (June 17, 2002). "The Shaq Factor". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  225. ↑ Wright, Robin (August 1, 2011). "Rock the Casbah". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2013.
  226. ↑ Brown, Tim (January 11, 2003). "O'Neal Issues Apology". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2013.
  227. ↑ Brown, Tim; Plaschke, Bill (May 29, 2002). "Shaq and Hedo Share a Moment". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2013.
  228. ↑ Alison Kugel (November 11, 2011). "Shaquille O'Neal Talks Kobe Bryant, Pat Riley & NBA Politics: 'I Did It My Way'". PR.com. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  229. ↑ Shaquille O'Neal's Son Shareef O'Neal Does Not Play Like His Dad
  230. ↑ "Watch: Shaq's son dominates as a high school freshman". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  231. ↑ O'Neal, MacMullan 2011, p. 209.
  232. ↑ Shaquille O'Neal, wife splitting up Yahoo News, November 10, 2009
  233. ↑ Goldstein, Meredith (February 3, 2011). "Hoopz is right at home with Shaq". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  234. ↑ Dwyer, Kelly (May 21, 2011). "Shaquille O’Neal’s girlfriend schools him on sleep apnea". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  235. ↑ "Keeping Up With Shaq", The Boston Globe, February 3, 2011 (retrieved February 5, 2011).
  236. ↑ New Jersey to Bon Jovi: You Give Us a Good Name Yahoo News, February 2, 2009.
  237. ↑ Chris Hodapp (June 12, 2011). "Freemasons For Dummies: Brother Shaquille O'Neal". Freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  238. ↑ "Shaquille O'Neal: Freemason". YouTube. 2011-02-27. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  239. ↑ January 14, 2012 (2012-01-14). "Shaquille O'Neal Show off His Freemason Ring on NBATV". Beginning And End. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  240. ↑ "Shaquille O’Neal Proudly Shows Off Illuminati Ring and Being a Freemason [VIDEO] | AT2W". Atoast2wealth.com. 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  241. ↑ "Family accepts O'Neal's offer - NBA - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. June 3, 2005. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  242. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (2008-11-03). "Video: Shaquille O'Neal, New Jersey Devils fan - Puck Daddy - NHL Blog - Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  243. ↑ "Shaq drives the Zamboni in Newark". YouTube. 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  244. ↑ "NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal celebrates Northampton's promotion". April 5, 2016.
  245. ↑ Kennedy, Robert F. "Shaq backs Christie: 'I believe him'". Politico. Retrieved 2016-02-23.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, May 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.