Shaquille O’neal, or ‘Shaq’ is a former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and named one of the league’s 50 Greatest Players. He’s regarded as one of the best centers in the league. After he retired from the NBA, he became a sports analyst today with Inside NBA.
Shaquille Oneal stands 7-foot-1-inch and weighs 147 kg; and has played for six NBA teams and collected four NBA championship titles over his 19-year professional career. During his stint in the NBA, he was also part of the US National Basketball team for the Olympics. And on the sidelines, Oneal also dabbled in the entertainment industry as a rapper and actor.
College career
Like many successful NBA players, Oneal started his career in college. After graduating high school, Shaq attended the Louisiana State University and met coach Dale Brown of the Tigers. While playing for Brown’s team, Oneal earned several awards, including two-time SEC Players of the Player, two-time All-American, and the Adolph Rupp trophy in 1991. In addition, he received the College Player of the Year award from UPI and AP. He left college early to become a professional basketball player but continued his college education.
NBA career
Shaquille O’neal was an instant celebrity the moment he entered professional basketball. He turned professional in 1992 and was named 1st overall pick for the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. Before moving to Orlando, Shaq spent time in Los Angeles under Magic Johnson. On his first week as a Magic, Shaq showed his skills and named Player of the Week. He averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game during his first year. Thanks to this stellar performance, Shaquille O’Neal was named the Rookie of the Year for the 1992-93 season. In addition, he was named a member of the All-Star since Jordan in 1985.
First playoffs
After a year, Oneal made his first playoff appearance with Brian Hill as the coach. During the playoffs, he improved his scoring average and led the league in field goal percentage at 60%.
With Penny Hardaway as his teammate, Oneal and the rest of the Magic ended the playoffs with a 50-32 record.
Scoring title and first NBA Finals
In Shaq’s third season as a professional player, he led the league in scoring with an average of 29.3 points per game. Again, he was part of the All-Star Game together with Penny Hardaway. During the 1994-95 season, their team-up helped the Orlando Magic win the Atlantic Division crown. Soon, the team defeated Boston Celtics in the playoffs and the Chicago Bulls in the conference finals. Finally, Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic reached the NBA Finals for this season, facing the Houston Rockets. Unfortunately, for the 1995-96 season, Oneal mainly stayed on the sidelines because of an injury. As a result, the team ended the regular season with a 60-22 record.
Shaquille O’Neal and the LA Lakers
Shaquille O’neal became a free agent at the end of the 1995-96 season. During this time, Shaq Oneal was the subject of many speculations and intrigue in the media about his relationship with the team’s coaching staff and Hill. Even his salary was the subject of rumors and news in the mainstream media, and many speculated whether he would join another team, notably the Los Angeles Lakers.
On the first day of training for the Atlanta Olympics, news outlets announced that Oneal would join the LA Lakers for a $121 million contract. In a statement, he mentioned that he never joined the famous NBA team for the money. During the 1996-97 season with Oneal, the Lakers won 56 games and made the playoffs.
Before the start of the 1999-2000 season, the team hired the services of Lakers coach Phil Jackson. This development changed the career trajectory of O’Neal, and this was the time when the team won the Championship, and he was awarded the league’s MVP. After the Lakers, he transferred to the Miami Heat team, where he was part of the Championship team.
National team career
In addition to his stint in the NBA, Shaquille O’neal was also a national team member. He started his national team career as part of the 1994 FIBA World Championship, where he was named the tournament’s MVP. O’Neal was also part of the gold medal-winning Dream Team II, averaging 18 points and 8.5 rebounds. He later joined the Dream Team III, one of the two NBA players to make the feat.
Again, he performed for the team en route to a gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics. After this event, O’Neal no longer took an interest in joining the national team. Shaquille O’neal was invited to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championships and the 2004 Olympics but chose to stay on the sidelines.
