Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (nicknamed Shaq) was born on March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey. He is one of the most dominant basketball players today and currently plays for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. At 7'1", 325 pounds and U.S. shoe size 22, he is one of the largest NBA players.
Childhood
O'Neal was named "Shaquille Rashaun" ("Little Warrior" in Arabic) by his biological father, Joseph Toney. His mother, Lucille, would marry U.S. Army sergeant Phillip Harrison shortly after Shaquille's birth. Shaq lived a good part of his childhood in Germany in Wildflecken, Bavaria, where his step-father Harrison was stationed with the U.S. Army. It was there that he learned to play basketball.
He fractured his two wrists while climbing a tree like Spider-Man, his comic strip favorite, and sometimes explains that this is why he makes less than half of his free throws.
Basketball career
LSU
He first gained national attention as a star at Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas. As a young man, he attended Louisiana State University, where he first became known by many basketball fans around the globe.
Orlando Magic
In 1992, he was chosen by the Orlando Magic, and he helped the team to 41 wins that year, missing the playoffs by a single game. He further raised his fame that year with two infamous dunks which broke the supports holding the basket and backboard, both on national television: the first coming against the Phoenix Suns, the second against the New Jersey Nets.
In the 1993-94 season, Shaq helped the Magic to their first playoff ever.
In 1994-1995, O'Neal and Hardaway helped their team reach the NBA Finals, but they were swept in four games by the Houston Rockets.
LA Lakers
After the 1995-1996 season, Shaq, asking for $120 million over seven years, left Orlando to join the Lakers. He and teammate Kobe Bryant created one of the most effective guard-center combinations in NBA history, forming the core of three championship teams.
O'Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles (2000, 2001, 2002). He was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and has the highest scoring average for a center in Finals history. He was also voted the 1999-2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, almost becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history.
In 2004, O'Neal and Bryant had a bitter feud that led to a surprising NBA Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons. O'Neal said that he would not return to the Lakers, asking instead to be traded.
Miami Heat
On July 14, Shaq was officially traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick. The Heat easily qualified for the playoffs, while his old team, the Lakers, miserably failed. Due to Shaq's commanding presence on the court, many pundits compared the Lakers trade of Shaq to the Boston Red Sox trade of Babe Ruth, referring to their dismal following season as "The Curse of the Shaq-bino".
Accolades
O'Neal has been selected to the All-Star Game every year since his rookie season in 1993 (except for the 1999 lockout season).
He has also improved into one of the league's best defenders, receiving All-NBA-Defensive honors in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
O'Neal was a key member of the 1994 World Championship and 1996 Olympic basketball team, which won gold.
He has been elected by the NBA as one of the "50 Greatest Basketballers" in 1996. He was the youngest member of this list.
In 2005, O'Neal became the first player in NBA history to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for 13 seasons.
O`Neal has earned All-NBA-Team honors in 11 of his 13 seasons.
He also was awarded the MVP in the 1999 and 2004 All-Star games.
Strengths and weaknesses
O'Neal is a physically exceptional player. His 7'1"/320-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, is 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.
On the other hand, 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 Shaq's poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls on Shaq, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq"; this technique was invented and coined by former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson.
Many feel that Shaq's star power in the NBA causes referees to turn a blind eye to some of his minor rule infractions. For example, many people 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.
For several years, O'Neal has suffered of arthritis in his right big toe, due to more than a decade of running, jumping and dunking with his 320-lb frame.
Media personality
Shaq 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" for his composure and insights during these interviews. Shaq's humorous and sometimes incendiary comments fueled the LA Lakers long standing rivalry with the Sacramento Kings; Shaq frequently referred to the Sacramento team as the "Queens". Shaq also received some media flak for mocking the Chinese language when interviewed about newcomer Center Yao Ming, but he was able to play down the media attention to the event.
Private Life
O'Neal married long-time girlfriend Shaunie Nelson on December 26, 2002; they have 3 children: Shareef Rashaun, Amirah Sanaa, and Shaquir Rashaun. He also has a daughter, Taahirah, by ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh.
Filmography
- Blue Chips (1993), with teammate Anfernee Hardaway and Nick Nolte
- Kazaam (1996)
- Good Burger (1997)
- Steel (1997)
- Freddie Got Fingered (2001)
Discography
- Shaq Diesel (1993)
- You Can't Stop the Reign (1996)
- Respect (1998)
- Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1 (2001)
External links
- Shaq's Official Site
- Shaq's NBA Player Page
- Shaq says mock accent was used jokingly - Shaq's response to controversy over Chinese accent comments on ESPN (January 10, 2003)
