Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States. His full name is Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal.⁠[1][2]

He attended Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas, before Louisiana State University.⁠[3]

He played three seasons for Louisiana State University before turning professional.⁠[4]

The Orlando Magic selected him first overall in the NBA draft. A center, he made his NBA debut on November 6.⁠[2][3]

Reebok signed him during his rookie season and introduced the Shaq Attaq signature basketball shoe, beginning their long association.⁠[5]

He received the NBA Rookie of the Year award.⁠[2]

Jive Records released his rap album Shaq Diesel. It achieved platinum certification and became a prominent part of his music career.⁠[6]

He won the men’s world basketball championship with the United States and received the tournament MVP award.⁠[4]

He helped the Orlando Magic reach their first NBA Finals.⁠[2]

He joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent and won Olympic basketball gold with the United States in Atlanta.⁠[1][4]

He played the title character in Kazaam in 1996 and John Henry Irons in Steel in 1997.⁠[7][8]

He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award for the 1999–2000 season.⁠[9]

He won three consecutive NBA championships with the Lakers and was named Finals MVP each time.⁠[2]

After leaving for the NBA draft, he returned to Louisiana State University to complete a bachelor’s degree in general studies.⁠[10]

He left the Lakers and joined the Miami Heat.⁠[1]

He earned an MBA through the University of Phoenix’s online program.⁠[10]

He won his fourth NBA championship with the Miami Heat.⁠[2]

He played for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.⁠[4][1]

Turner Sports announced a multiyear contract, bringing him to Inside the NBA for the 2011–2012 season alongside Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.⁠[11]

He graduated from Barry University with a doctorate in education in organizational learning and leadership, specializing in human resource development. The university reported that he completed the program over four and a half years.⁠[12]

Authentic Brands Group acquired a majority interest in the Shaquille O’Neal brand, and he became a shareholder in the company.⁠[13]

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player.⁠[2]

He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in recognition of his basketball career.⁠[4]

Big Chicken, which he co-founded, opened its first restaurant in Las Vegas. He developed the restaurant concept with the JRS Hospitality team.⁠[14]

Papa Johns announced his appointment to its board, a brand-ambassador agreement and his investment in nine Atlanta-area restaurants.⁠[15]

He established The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation. His charitable work also includes longstanding involvement with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Communities in Schools.⁠[9]

Under the name DJ DIESEL, he released GORILLA WARFARE through Monstercat, featuring ten collaborative tracks.⁠[16][17]

Reebok announced his appointment as president of basketball and Allen Iverson as vice president, with responsibility for developing the brand’s basketball business.⁠[5]

He partnered with Playmaker HQ on The Big Podcast Network and a revamped The Big Podcast with Shaq. The announcement identified Adam Lefkoe and producer Shaine Freeman as collaborators.⁠[18]

He did not seek re-election, and his board term ended at the annual meeting. The company had attributed the decision to his other business commitments and announced continued brand cooperation at that time.⁠[19][20]

School of Hard Knocks published Young Entrepreneur Interviews SHAQ, covering his business beginnings, athletes’ finances after retirement, mentorship and investment approach.⁠[21]

A federal court in southern Florida approved a class settlement involving O’Neal and Astrals companies, with a fund of up to $11 million. Purchasers alleged unregistered securities sales involving Astrals NFTs and GLXY tokens. Defendants denied violations and resulting damages; the order stated that settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing or liability.⁠[22][23]

Netflix premiered the six-part Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal, following his and Allen Iverson’s work with Reebok Basketball. He also served as an executive producer.⁠[24]

Plaintiffs in FTX-related civil litigation sought preliminary approval of a $1.8 million settlement with O’Neal concerning his promotion of the exchange. The agreement recorded his denial of wrongdoing or unlawful conduct. The filing was a preliminary-approval request, not a final judicial determination of liability.⁠[25]

Inside the NBA began airing on ESPN platforms for the 2025–2026 season while remaining a TNT Sports production. O’Neal continued with the established hosting and analyst team.⁠[26]

He, Authentic Brands Group and TNT Sports announced the DUNKMAN dunking league, with O’Neal as commissioner. Building on a 2025 television competition, it scheduled twenty-four competitors across four group events and a championship.⁠[27]

He received a master’s degree in liberal arts from Louisiana State University and delivered a commencement address.⁠[28]

Following the inaugural season, organizers announced plans for team contests, a junior division and international regional qualifiers in 2027. They confirmed Cam Hazzard as the 2026 champion with a $500,000 prize; the 2027 additions remained future plans.⁠[17]

His nineteen-year NBA career spanned six teams and included fifteen All-Star selections, fourteen All-NBA selections and three All-Defensive selections.⁠[9]

His personal X account is https://x.com/SHAQ (opens in a new window) and his verified YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry channel is https://www.youtube.com/@SHAQ (opens in a new window). The channel links to his website, https://shaq.com/ (opens in a new window), and X account; the original interview also links directly to this YouTube channel.⁠[29][21]