- Shaquille O’Neal, alias Shaq, is a retired professional basketball player who works as a sports analyst on a popular TV show
- The former NBA star has an estimated net worth of $400 million, and he retired in 2011
- Besides being a professional basketball player and a musician, O’Neal has also been featured in several movies
WHO IS SHAQUILLE O’NEAL?
Shaquille O’Neal, alias Shaq was born in Newark, New Jersey, USA, on March 6, 1972. Lucille O’Neal and Joe Toney.
He is a former American basketball player and rapper. He was one of the most prominent NBA players ever, standing more than 7 feet tall and weighing nearly 150 kg.
O’Neal played for the Lakers. Photo: Getty Images
In his early twenties, he was drafted into the NBA and quickly was among the most dominant players in NBA history, helping his teams win NBA Championships and Olympic Gold.
In the year2011, O’Neal finally retired. Besides being a successful basketball, Shaq turns out to be also an actor, mainly having appeared in supporting roles in films like ‘Grown Ups 2’ and ‘Blended,’ as well as TV shows like ‘Uncle Grandpa’ and ‘Off to School.’
He is also a rapper who has four albums to his credit, the most recent being ‘Respect.’ He is currently an analyst on the popular TV show ‘Inside the NBA.’
CAREER
During the 1992 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic selected Shaquille O’Neal. His abilities earned him the title of ‘Player of the Week’ within the first week of his debut, making him the first player to do so.
He averaged 23.4 points on 56.2 per cent shooting, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game during the season. He was later named the ‘1993 NBA Rookie of the Year.’
He continued to play brilliantly in the years that followed, and in 1996, he was selected to play for the country as a participant in the United States Olympic basketball team.
The tournament, held in Atlanta, Georgia, was one of the most difficult and significant challenges. His incredible abilities helped his team win the gold medal.
Shaquille O’Neal was named the NBA’s most valuable player in 2000. The Los Angeles Lakers signed him to a three-year, $88.5 million contract.
Despite his contribution to the team’s three straight world championships (2000, 2001, and 2002), his time with them was difficult. He had several misunderstandings with team members, which led to his trade to the Miami Heat.
In 2006, he helped the Miami Heat win the NBA championship, the fourth championship win of his career.
O’Neal started to play for the Phoenix Suns in February 2008. However, in his first few games with the team, they mostly lost, which O’Neal blamed on being out of sync with the other players.
Shaquille O’Neal and his ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal. Photo: Getty Images
He went on to join the Cleveland Cavaliers in June 2009 and played for them during the 2009-2010 season. During this period, he became the NBA’s oldest player in history.
His value as a player had also diminished significantly by this point.
After playing for nineteen years, O’Neal announced his retirement via social media on June 1, 2011. He furthermore held a press conference at his residence in Orlando two days later to officially announce his retirement.
ACTING CAREER
Shaquille O’Neal’s acting career began with the 1994 basketball drama Blue Chips. The film was directed by William Friedkin and starred Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell, Ed O’Neill, J. T. Walsh, and Alfre Woodard.
However, the film did not perform well commercially. It received mostly negative feedback.
He starred in the 1997 American superhero action film Steel.’ The film was written and directed by Kenneth Johnson and was based on the DC Comics character Steel.
The film, on the other hand, was a commercial flop. The majority of reviews were negative.
He also appeared in several movies as the years went by blended (2o14), The House Bunny (2008), Grownups (2013), and the wash (2001)
MUSIC CAREER
In the year 1993, Shaquille O’Neal began composing rap music. The same year, he released his debut album, ‘Shaq Diesel.’
The album was highly successful, with songs like ‘I’m Outstanding’ and ‘Let me in, Let me in.’ Despite mostly negative reviews, it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200. The following year, it was certified platinum.
In 1994, he released his next album, ‘Shaq Fu: D Return.’ Though not as popular as his first album, it was a moderate success. It charted at 67 on the Billboard 200.
His third and fourth albums, ‘You Can’t Stop the Reign’ and ‘Respect,’ were launched in 1996 and 1998. While his third album peaked at number 82 on the Billboard 200, his fourth album peaked at number 58.
He also wrote a fifth album, titled ‘Shaquille O’Neal Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1’. It was scheduled to be released in 2001, but it was never officially launched.
Shaquille O’Neal and his kids. Photo: Getty Images
AWARDS
Shaquille O’Neal’s incredible basketball skills have garnered him several awards, which include
FIBA World Championship MVP -1994
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year-1994
NBA Most Valuable Player -2000
FAMILY
Shaquille O Neal married Shaunie Nelson at the Beverly Hills Hotel on December 26, 2002.
The couple has four children also during their marriage. Shareef (born in 2000), Amirah (born in 2001), Shaqir (born in 2003), and Me’arah (born in 2006).
O’Neal has another daughter from his previous relationship, Taahira
Shaquille O’Neal and his ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh have a daughter, Tahirah.
After five years of marriage, Shaquille and Shaunie O’Neal separated on September 4, 2007.
But they quickly reconciled. Later on, Shaunie filed for divorce on November 10, 2009, stating “irreconcilable differences.”
As a result, the couple divorced officially in 2011. After that, O’Neal went ahead to date several women.
NETWORTH
Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth is estimated to be $400 million as of 2022, causing him to be one of the world’s wealthiest athletes.
Shaq played for six different teams during his 19-year career and is widely regarded as one of the finest NBA players in history
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