Shaquille O’Neal
While he’s no longer hitting the hardwood, Shaquille O’Neal still casts a massive shadow over the NBA landscape.
After towering over the NCAA competition at LSU, O’Neal entered into the 1992 NBA Draft and joined the Orlando Magic as the first overall pick. Shaq didn’t miss a beat and quickly emerged as a dominant force in the paint. A championship, however, never materialized, and the big man eventually left for Hollywood.
With the Lakers, O’Neal famously teamed up with Kobe Bryant. While the two men didn’t always see eye-to-eye, they did earn three NBA titles together in Los Angeles. The Diesel then returned to Florida, where he’d win a fourth ring with the Miami Heat, before bouncing around the league and ultimately retiring in 2011.
In addition to his on-court exploits — Shaq still stands tall as one of the greatest big men to ever play the game — the center hasn’t slowed down in retirement. He’s a prolific investor, a celebrity pitchman, and a part of TNT’s NBA coverage.
- Former teams: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics
- Position: Center
- Accomplishments: Four-time NBA champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, 1993 Rookie of the Year, 2000 NBA MVP, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016
- Drafted: No. 1 overall in 1992 by the Orlando Magic
- Shooting hand: Right
- Nicknames: Shaq, Diesel, The Big Aristotle
Read the latest about Shaquille O’Neal’s playing career and history:
Charles Barkley recently revealed his top NBA players of all time and Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t happy about not making the list.
Shaquille O’Neal and the “Inside the NBA” crew returned to work remotely this week. O’Neal showed he’s very much into 2020 work-mode accidentally revealing he wasn’t wearing pants.
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant wouldn’t have won their first NBA title together if not for an epic collapse by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Shaquille O’Neal is promoting a new pizza option from Papa John’s that borrows from a legendary Yogi Berra story.
Shaquille O’Neal emotionally described his relationship with Kobe Bryant to Jimmy Fallon including the first time they met and the one thing he wishes he could tell his former teammate today.
Rob Gronkowski and Shaquille O’Neal will complete six unique challenges as part of a live-streaming party event for charity.
Hank Gathers had a promising NBA career ahead of him, but it was cut short after he collapsed during a game and died at the age of 23.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most entertaining athletes on earth, and he actually starred in a reality TV show for two seasons.
Charles Barkley has one of the ugliest golf swings in history. Interestingly, it’s as cringe-worthy and mesmerizing as a Shaquille O’Neal free throw.
Retired NBA great Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t think the the league should resume its season.
