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:
Shaquille O’Neal must divest his minority stake in the Sacramento Kings after agreeing to a deal to be a brand ambassador for online sports gambling app WynnBET.
During his time with the Orlando Magic, Shaquille O’Neal put one of his teammates in a headlock during practice. Needless to say, things only escalated from there.
Shaquille O’Neal found success at LSU, but his daughter is taking her talents elsewhere.
The Milwaukee Bucks are leading the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals, but a disagreement about how the series has played out turned into a heated war of words between NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. In fact, Barkley and Shaq even traded some personal shots on TNT.
Since the NBA MVP award was first presented following the 1955-56 season, just one player has won it unanimously.
During his time with the LA Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal tried to play Mormon match-maker for Mark Madsen.
Shaquille O’Neal famously ripping down the backboard against the Nets overshadowed a 50-point game from Nick Anderson.
Jerry West has finally fired back at Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who left him off the list of the five most important figures in the history of the franchise.
Dennis Rodman and Shaquille O’Neal engaged in an intense battle during the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, both on and off the court.
Shaquille O’Neal has plenty of money in the bank and he’s not afraid to use it.
