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Biography
Childhood
O'Neal, born in Newark, New Jersey, was named "Shaquille Rashaun" by his biological father, Joseph Toney. However, he is not close to his biological father; one of his songs, "Biological Didn't Bother", explains his feelings. (It is commonly reported that "Shaquille Rashaun" means "little warrior" in Arabic, but this is a misconception as neither "Shaquille" nor "Rashaun" is an Arabic word or name.)
O'Neal's mother, Lucille O'Neal Harrison, would marry U.S. Army sergeant Phillip Harrison (whom O'Neal considers his father figure) shortly after Shaquille's birth. O'Neal spent some of his childhood in Germany in Wildflecken, Bavaria, where his stepfather Harrison was stationed with the U.S. Army. It was there that he learned to play basketball.
O'Neal fractured both of his wrists while climbing between two trees, trying to imitate Superman, his comic book favorite, and sometimes explains that this is why he makes only half of his free throws.
Basketball career
Louisiana State University
Shaquille O'Neal, while playing for Louisiana State University
He first gained national attention as a star at Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas. He became High School Player of the Year during his playing years there. As a young man, he attended Louisiana State University (LSU) to study and graduate with a bachelor degree in business. While on LSU's basketball team, he was a two-time first team All-American, two-time Southeastern Conference player of the year, and the national player of the year in 1991. He holds the NCAA record for shots blocked in a game with a whopping 17 blocks against Mississippi State University on December 3, 1990.
Dale Brown, LSU's coach at that time, states that he first met O'Neal while Brown was visiting Germany, and mistook the then-13 year old for one of the soldiers. At the time, O'Neal was already 7 feet tall, but weighed only about 223 pounds. Over the next several years, he would grow only one more inch, but put on 80 pounds of muscle.
Orlando Magic
Shaquille O'Neal, in Orlando Magic uniform, posing for the Kids' version of Sports Illustrated.
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O'Neal was drafted first overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. During that summer, prior to moving to Orlando, he spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
O'Neal had an exceptional rookie season, as he helped the Magic win 20 more games than the previous season, with the team ultimately missing the playoffs by only one game. O'Neal averaged 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds on the season and was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. O'Neal played in the All-Star game and scored 14 points.
After his first season in Orlando, O'Neal returned to Los Angeles during the summer, where he was cast in a role in Blue Chips, a film about college recruits getting paid to play basketball. He also recorded rap music over that summer.
O'Neal's sophomore season was even better than his first. He averaged 29.3 points and led the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%. He was also voted into another All-Star game and helped the Magic make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
In his third season, O'Neal led the NBA in scoring, with 2,315 total points and, like his second season, averaged 29.3 points per game. Orlando won 57 games and won the Atlantic Division. The Magic made it all the way to the NBA Finals, but there were swept by the Houston Rockets. By O'Neal's own admission, he was badly outplayed during that series by Houston's far more experienced superstar center Hakeem Olajuwon. Nonetheless, Olajuwon saw enough potential in O'Neal that Olajuwon (correctly) predicted that O'Neal would some day return to the Finals and win a championship.
O'Neal was injured for a great deal of the 1995-96 season, missing 28 games. He was still able to have a good season, but not as good as he had hoped. The Magic won 60 games and won the Atlantic Division again, but Orlando lost to the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. Now a free agent, O'Neal contemplated whether his future would be best served by remaining with the Magic or by moving on to a new team.
By this point, O'Neal showed interest in many things besides basketball. He started making rap CDs and met with some measure of success. He also took an interest in making more movies. O'Neal took classes at LSU as he had promised his mother he would graduate.
That summer, O'Neal was named to the United States Olympic team. In the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, O'Neal helped the U.S. win the gold medal in men's basketball. O'Neal has expressed the great pride he felt at the moment that the gold medal was placed around his neck.
Shortly before the Olympics began, O'Neal announced he had made his decision regarding his NBA future — he was moving to Los Angeles to become a Laker.
Los Angeles Lakers
After the 1995-1996 season, O'Neal left Orlando to join the Los Angeles Lakers under an unprecedented seven year, $120 million contract. He had always wanted to play for the Lakers, and thus turned down an even slightly larger contract offer from Magic in order to fulfill that dream.
O'Neal's first three seasons with the Lakers were marked by frustration. He missed a significant number of games due to injury, and in each season, the Lakers found themselves eliminated from the NBA Playoffs prior to reaching the Finals, twice suffering the ignominy of a four-game sweep.
In 1999, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as their new head coach, and the team's fortunes soon changed. Utilizing Jackson's triangle offense, O'Neal and teammate Kobe Bryant became one of the most effective guard-center combinations in NBA history, although their relationship was a tenuous one and the two feuded with each other frequently in public and private. Regardless, the two enjoyed tremendous success on the court, as they led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles (2000, 2001, 2002). O'Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and has the highest scoring average for a center in Finals history.
O'Neal was also voted the 1999-2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, coming just one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Fred Hickman, then of CNN, was the sole voter who did not cast his first place vote for O'Neal, instead choosing Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers.
After the Lakers failed to reach the Finals in 2003, the team made a concerted off-season effort to improve its roster. They sought the free agent services of forward Karl Malone and guard Gary Payton, but due to salary cap restrictions, could not offer either one nearly as much money as they could have made with other teams. O'Neal assisted in the recruitment efforts and personally lobbied both men to join the team. Ultimately, each of them did, forgoing larger salaries in favor a chance to win an NBA Championship, something neither had yet accomplished in their career.
O'Neal and Bryant, the "dynamic duo", after winning their third straight NBA title in 2002.
Given the years of All-Star-level play he had given the Lakers, leading directly to three championships, and considering that he'd also personally assisted management in recruiting efforts, O'Neal sought a reciprocation from the franchise. At the beginning of the 2003-04 season, with two years left on his contract at the time, O'Neal informed the team of his desire for an extension to his contract. O'Neal remained persistently vocal about this desire, but Laker management was hesitant to meet his demands amid concerns about the possibility of further injuries and a general decline in his game as he continued to age. It is widely believed that there was also concern about O'Neal's relationship with Kobe Bryant, as the two had exchanged public barbs during the off-season. With Bryant scheduled to become a free agent at the end of that season, many believed he would not choose to remain with the Lakers if the team made a long-term commitment to O'Neal.
The Lakers did offer O'Neal a contract in February 2004 (according to the book Madmen's Ball by Mark Heisler) under which he would have continued to remain the highest paid player in the league, however only by a small margin, and O'Neal refused.
After the Lakers were defeated by the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal became angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O'Neal's future with the club, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson. O'Neal's comments indicated that he felt that the team's decisions were centered around a desire to appease Bryant, to the exclusion of all other concerns, and O'Neal promptly demanded a trade.
Miami Heat
On July 14, 2004, O'Neal was officially traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft choice. With O'Neal on board, the new-look Heat surpassed expectations, easily claiming the best record in the Eastern Conference. Despite being hobbled by a deep thigh bruise, O'Neal lead the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, losing by a narrow margin. He also narrowly lost the 2004-2005 MVP award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in one of the closest votes in history.
Shaquile O'Neal and Dwyane Wade
In August 2005, O'Neal signed an 5-year-extension with the Heat for US $100 million dollars. Supporters applauded O'Neal's willingness to take what amounted to a pay cut, the Heat's decision to secure O'Neal's services for the long term. They contend that O'Neal is well worth $20 million per year, particularly given that considerably less less valuable players such as Jalen Rose, Allan Houston, Keith Van Horn, Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury earn almost the same amount. Critics, however, questioned wisdom of the extension, characterizing it as overpaying an aging and often times injured player.
In the second game of the 2005-2006 season, O'Neal injured his right ankle and was out for 18 games. Since his return O'Neal is averaging a career low in minutes per game. Many critics say that Heat coach Pat Riley is doing the right thing by only letting O'Neal play about 30 minutes a game because he will be at 100% come playoff time and has shown in dominance in games against the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats in which he has scored over 30 points. Although O'Neal is averaging career lows in points, rebounds, and blocks, O'Neal said in a recent interview "Stats don't matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score 0 points and we win I'm happy. If I score 50, 60 points, break the records, and we lose, I'm pissed off. 'Cause I knew I did something wrong. I'll have a hell of a season if I win the championship and average 20 points a game."
Accolades
NBA highlights
Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 (only active player remaining on that list).
NBA Most Valuable Player: 2000
2-time TSN NBA Most Valuable Player: 2000, 2005
3-time NBA Champion: 2000, 2001, 2002
3-time NBA Finals MVP: 2000, 2001, 2002
13-time NBA All-Star: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2000, 2004
12-time All-NBA:
First Team: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Second Team: 1995, 1999
Third Team: 1994, 1996, 1997
3-time All-Defensive:
Second Team: 2000, 2001, 2003
NBA Rookie of the Year: 1993
TSN NBA Rookie of the Year: 1993
NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1993
2-time NBA regular-season leader, points per game: 1995 (29.3), 2000 (29.7)
3-time NBA regular-season leader, total points: 1995 (2315), 1999 (1289), 2000 (2344)
5-time NBA regular-season leader, PER: 1998 (28.8), 1999 (30.6), 2000 (30.6), 2001 (30.2), 2002 (29.7)
5-time NBA regular-season leader, field goals made: 1994 (953), 1995 (930), 1999 (510), 2000 (956), 2001 (813)
8-time NBA regular-season leader, field goal %: 1994 (.599), 1998 (.584), 1999 (.576), 2000 (.574), 2001 (.572), 2002 (.579), 2004 (.584), 2005 (.601)
Accomplishments/milestones
Joins Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to win three consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards (2000, 2001, 2002).
Joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in field goal percentage for 8 seasons.
Only player in NBA history to:
average at least 20 points per game and 10 rebounds per game in a season for 13 consecutive seasons
lead the league in field goal percentage for 5 consecutive seasons (1998-2002)
reach 4,500 points, 2,000 rebounds, 500 assists, and 300 blocks in his playoff career while shooting at least 55% from the field.
One of only five players in NBA history to be selected to the NBA All-Star game for 13 consecutive seasons; the others are Jerry West, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Karl Malone.
One of only three players in NBA history to reach 24,500 points, 11,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, and 2,000 blocks in his career (the others are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon).
NBA playoff records (12):
Most free throws attempted, all-time: 1,995 (1994–present)
Most free throws attempted, half: 27 (May 20, 2000 vs. Portland Trail Blazers)
Most free throws attempted, quarter: 25 (May 20, 2000 vs. Portland Trail Blazers)
NBA Finals (9):
Most points scored in a 4-game series: 145 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most free throws made in a 4-game series: 45 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most free throws attempted in a 4-game series: 68 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most blocks made in a 4-game series: 11 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most blocks made in one game: 8 (NBA Finals 2001; tied with Tim Duncan)
Most free throws made in one game, half: 13 (NBA Finals 2000)
Most free throws made in one game, quarter: 9 (NBA Finals 2000; tied with Allen Iverson)
Most free throws attempted in one game: 39 (NBA Finals 2000)
Most free throws attempted in one game, quarter: 16 (NBA Finals 2000, NBA Finals 2002)
Los Angeles Lakers franchise records (8):
Most offensive rebounds, season: 336 (1999-00).
Most offensive rebounds, all-time, playoffs: 561 (1996-2004).
Most offensive rebounds, game, playoffs: 11 (May 6, 2001 vs. the Sacramento Kings).
Most free throws attempted, game: 31 (November 19, 1999 vs. the Chicago Bulls).
Most free throws attempted, game, playoffs: 39 (June 9, 2000 vs. the Indiana Pacers).
Most free throws attempted, half: 20 (March 14, 2002 vs. the Golden State Warriors).
Most free throws attempted, half, playoffs: 22 (June 9, 2000 vs. the Indiana Pacers).
Most free throws attempted, quarter, playoffs: 16 (June 9, 2000 vs. the Indiana Pacers).
Other
Key member of the 1994 USA World Championship and 1996 Olympic basketball team, which won gold.
Earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2005.
Ranked #9 in SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003.
Strengths and weaknesses
O'Neal is a physically exceptional player. His 7'1"/330-lb frame gives him enormous power, and for a man of that size, he is quick and very explosive. His "drop step", in which he posts up a defender, turns around and powers past him for a slam dunk, has proven virtually unstoppable. In addition, he is a talented and stylish passer, and an effective defender. His dominating physical presence inside the paint has caused dramatic changes in many teams' offensive and defensive strategies that can be seen over the course of his career. Trying to defend O'Neal, teams put two, or sometimes even three defenders on him, giving his teammates a lot of uncontested shots.
O'Neal is one of the worst free-throw shooters in the NBA. His lifetime average is an abysmally low 53.1%. In hope of exploiting O'Neal's poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls against him, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq"; this technique, which started while at LSU, and coined by former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson.
In perspective, however, terrible free-throw shooting is common among NBA big-men, and is a trait shared by other greats such as Wilt Chamberlain. Also, O'Neal's free-throw average in the last two minutes of the game is better than his overall average.[citation needed] In his last seasons O'Neal also seems to be a victim of foul trouble, limiting his minutes.
Many feel that O'Neal's star power in the NBA causes referees to turn a blind eye to some of his minor rule infractions. Many claim that his awkward shooting stance and general forward motion cause him to violate Rule 10, Section I-d, a rarely-enforced rule stating that the shooter cannot cross the plane of the free throw line until the ball has touched the basket ring or backboard. However, this lane violation is occasionally called on O'Neal's free throw attempts.
Many of O'Neal's critics point out that he plays with excessive power that should be called as fouls. While he deals out a lot of physical abuse to defenders, O'Neal's defenders claim that because of his enormous size, officials allow him to take more physical abuse than other players. All considered, O'Neal appears to be one of the most difficult players in NBA history to officiate due to his physicality (both given and taken) under the basket.
For several years, O'Neal has suffered from arthritis in his right big toe, due to more than a decade of running, jumping and dunking with his 330 lb (150 kg) frame.
O'Neal has also been criticized for his philosophy that a team should bide its time and work harder at the end of the season. This philosophy often seems to be at work in his own level of play. Although during the playoffs he plays to his full potential and dominance, it has been alleged that O'Neal frequently takes longer than he needs in recovering from regular season injuries (e.g. his abdominal muscles in 1996, his recurring big toe problem during his tenure with the Lakers, and his sprained ankle in 2006, all of which critics say he should have recovered from much more quickly than he did), and that he plays inconsistently during the regular season. When lulls in his play seem to present themselves, some begin to question his ability. However, he will be then liable to respond with a outstanding game, despite countless double and triple team attempts by the opposing team.
Media personality
O'Neal is generally liked by the media for his playful tone in interviews and generally eloquent manner in comparison to other athletes. He has been called "the Big Aristotle", a name that was self-given, for his composure and insights during these interviews. O'Neal's humorous and sometimes incendiary comments fueled the Los Angeles Lakers' long standing rivalry with the Sacramento Kings; O'Neal frequently referred to the Sacramento team as the "Queens". He also received some media flak for mocking the Chinese language when interviewed about newcomer center Yao Ming, but he was able to downplay the media attention to the event. Yao himself stated he did not find it offensive, but could see how others might misinterpret the remark as a racist comment.
Bryant and O'Neal put an end to their public feud in 2006.
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Shaquille O'Neal
During the 2005 NBA playoffs, O'Neal lamented of his poor play due to injury as being comparable to Erick Dampier, a Dallas Mavericks center who had failed to score a single point in one of their recent games. The quip inspired countless citations and references by announcers during those playoffs, though Dampier himself offered little response to the insult.
On May 24, 2005, when Brian Hill was re-announced as head coach of his former team, the Orlando Magic, O'Neal was quoted as saying, "It's good that he's back. When I buy the team [Magic] in three years, he'll be working for me." Whether or not this will raise speculation of O'Neal's life after playing basketball remains to be seen. [1]
He is very vocal with the media, and often jabs at former Laker teammate Kobe Bryant. In the summer of 2005, when asked about Kobe, he responded, "I'm sorry, who?" and went on about not being familiar with that name. O'Neal was once a spokesperson for Radio Shack. In one of its commercials, he snapped his fingers and changed the spelling to "Radio Shaq".
O'Neal appeared on the Season 5 finale of Punk'd, MTV's celebrity prank show. Prior to his appearence, Ashton Kutcher decided to trick him as a revenge for leaving the Lakers by being traded to Miami Heat for three players back in July 2004.
He has also appeared in many other shows such as Saturday Night Live.
When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, an event that is believed to signify the end of the so-called "Shaq-Kobe feud" that had festered since the center left Los Angeles.
On January 27 WWE.com posted a page saying that O'Neal attacked World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Carlito with a chair - however, the clip showed that this was more for comedic effect than any real malice. Moreover, according to reputable sources, O'Neal's appearance was a publicity stunt designed to mimic the acting that incorporates the WWE.
Private life
O'Neal married his long-time girlfriend, Shaunie Nelson, on December 26, 2002; they have 3 children: Shareef Rashaun, Amirah Sanaa, and Shaquir Rashaun. They all attend Miami Country Day School. The couple is expecting their fourth child together, a daughter, in May 2006.
O'Neal also has a daughter, Taahirah, by ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh. Nelson has another son, Myles, from a previous relationship.
O'Neal, whose mother is a Baptist and stepfather a Muslim, has not formally announced affiliation with a specific faith; however, he has been linked to Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam.
Education
O'Neal, who finished his bachelor's degree in business from LSU in 2000, earned an online MBA through the University of Phoenix in 2005.
It’s just something to have on my resume [for] when I go back into reality. Someday I might have to put down a basketball and have a regular 9-to-5 like everybody else.[2]
— Shaquille O'Neal, in reference to his completion of an MBA degree
Police aspirations
Off court, O'Neal has maintained a high level of interest in the workings of the police department, and has become personally involved in law enforcement. O'Neal went through the police academy in Los Angeles, and became a reserve officer with the L.A. Port Police.
In March 2005 he was given an honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal title and named the spokesman for the Safe Surfin' foundation; he will serve an honorary role on the task force of the same name, which tracks down sexual predators who target children on the Internet.[3]
Upon his trade to Miami, O'Neal began training to become a Miami Beach reserve officer; on December 8, 2005, he was sworn in as a reserve officer (he elected a private ceremony so not to distract the other officers from their special moment). Shortly thereafter, in Miami, O'Neal was a witness to a hate crime and called Miami-Dade police, giving them a description of the suspect and helping police, over his cell phone, track the offender. O'Neal credits this as his first "arrest".
O'Neal has expressed an interest in working with the special victims detective unit, to stop crimes against children; he stated that he does not simply want to be involved in "photo ops" but wants to "get down and dirty" and make arrests. [4]
Filmography
Blue Chips (1993), with actor Nick Nolte and Orlando Magic teammate Anfernee Hardaway
Kazaam (1996)
Good Burger (1997)
Steel (1997)
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
TV commercials:
Taco Bell (In his autobiography he ruefully describes giving Taco Bell the idea for the Taco Bell Chihuahua, ironically the centerpiece of their next advertisement campaign that left O'Neal in the dust)
Burger King
Nestlé Crunch
Chattem Icy Hot Sleeve and Icy Hot Back Patch
Radio Shack (He however, called it "Radio Shaq".)
Jack in the Box (had his own "Shaq Combo")
TV shows:
"Shaquille" (2005), reality show ESPN
"My Wife & Kids" (2003), Sitcom on Trouble
Discography
Shaq Diesel (1993)
Shaq Fu - Da Return (1994)
The Best of Shaquille O'Neal (1996)
You Can't Stop the Reign (1996)
Respect (1998)
Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1 (2001, Unreleased)
Television and video game appearances
O'Neal appeared in a coin-operated video game called NBA Jam.
O'Neal starred in Shaq Fu, a fighting game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis.
O'Neal has appeared on the MTV show Punk'd. Also, He has been featured in an episode of MTV's Jackass, where he had been humping Wee Man.
O'Neal has appeared on the animated series Static Shock on the episode "Static Shaq", as a cameo.
O'Neal appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, bedridden after Larry David tripped him while stretching.
O'Neal appeared in Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 as a playable boxer.
O'Neal is on the cover of the game NBA 2K6.
O'Neal appeared in one episode of My Wife and Kids.
Trivia
Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of NBA legend George Mikan.
Shaquille O'Neal bought apartments, food, toiletries, and others for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Shaquille O'Neal hands out free turkeys to needy children on Thanksgiving every year. O'Neal calls this "Shaqsgiving"
Shaquille O'Neal hands out free toys to children in: Miami, Florida, Los Angeles, California, Newark, New Jersey (where O'Neal has born), and Baton Rouge, Louisiana for Christmas. O'Neal tells the states that he is playing "Shaq-A-Claus".
Shaquille O'Neal also made an appearance in a Johnny Bravo episode named "Back On Shaq", where he hired Johnny Bravo to be his "good luck charm", but later realized he did not need Johnny after defeating Seth Green and his "good luck charm" Huckleberry Hound.
At the American Airlines Arena, just before the Royal Rumble, O'Neal took out WWE superstar Carlito with a steel chair, making him tell O'Neal that "it was [O'Neal's] house", but Carlito said he lied.
O'Neal appears in the flash animation Ultimate Showdown making an early appearance and fighting against Jackie Chan, Aaron Carter, Godzilla and the Batmobile.
Melbourne pop punk band Stealing O'Neal got their name after stealing a life size cardboard cut-out image of Shaquille O'Neal at their first gig. Their name up until that point was "Your First Turtle".
O'Neal guest rapped over Guns N Roses during a recording session for the Chinese Democracy album.
