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 and Kobe Bryant didn’t always get along as teammates. A new story reveals O’Neal once offered teammate Isaiah Rider money to start a fight with Bryant.
Shaquille O’Neal is a man of many talents. The NBA Hall of Famer takes over TNT programming tonight and debuts his docuseries Shaq Life.
Shaq’s son, Shareef O’Neal, recently opened up about Kobe Bryant. He revealed one of the last messages Bryant ever sent before his death.
With no NBA to talk about an no clubs to party in, Shaq had no choice but to turn his home into a mini dance club. He does not take requests.
Shaquille O’Neal is a lifelong student. Many NBA fans might not know Shaq is the proud recipient of a Ph.D.
Shaquille O’Neal’s memorable rookie season with the Orlando Magic included breaking a backboard after a dunk.
NBA Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain combined to miss more than 11,000 free throws in their careers.
Wheaties may be known as “the breakfast of Champions,” but Shaquille O’Neal refused to appear on the cereal box twice.
Shaquille O’Neal dunked on Chris Dudley over twenty years ago and Dudley did not like to it. Dudley threw the ball at O’Neal after the dunk.
In response to a post on Instagram, Shaquille O’Neal revealed where he would put himself on the list of the NBA’s all-time great players.
