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:
Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss traded Shaquille O’Neal in 2004, but the die was cast the preseason before during a game in Hawaii.
Can Scotty Pippen Jr. and Shareef O’Neal follow their legendary fathers to successful NBA careers?
Shaquille O’Neal has made plenty of money over the years. Now he could be using it to return to the Orlando Magic.
When Shaquille O’Neal left the Orlando Magic for the LA Lakers, it changed NBA history. And it may have been avoided if not for a billboard.
Shareef O’Neal is going through the NBA draft process, but his father, Shaquille O’Neal, doesn’t approve.
The spending habits of Shaquille O’Neal are legendary and last week, he added another story, paying the bill for an entire restaurant.
Kobe and Shaq were a lot like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson in one specific way and Phil Jackson knew how to best manage that dynamic.
Shaquille O’Neal says he would’ve joined the Bulls or Spurs to form a superteam if he knew it was okay.
While Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal may be the stars of ‘Inside the NBA,’ their on-air arguments aren’t helping anyone.
Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t forgotten about people comparing James Harden and Joel Embiid to him and Kobe Bryant.
