Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O’Neal is a retired NBA star, sports analyst and entrepreneur known for his dominance on the basketball court, larger-than-life personality and ventures in music, film and business. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, O’Neal played high school basketball in San Antonio, Texas, before enrolling at Louisiana State University, where he earned SEC Player of the Year honors twice and left early to enter the NBA draft.

O’Neal was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA Draft and won Rookie of the Year. He became one of the league’s top players, later joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. He led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002 and was named NBA Finals MVP each time. He won a fourth title with the Miami Heat in 2006. O’Neal was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

Outside basketball, O’Neal released four rap albums, including Shaq Diesel (1993) and Shaq-Fu: Da Return. He starred in films like Blue Chips (1994) and Kazaam (1996) and has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Inside the NBA on TNT.

O’Neal married Shaunie Nelson in 2002; they divorced in 2011. The pair share children Myles (1997), Shareef (born in 2000), Amirah (born in 2001), Shaqir (born in 2003) and Me’arah (born in 2006). He also has a daughter, Taahirah (born in 1996), with former girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh. He was later briefly linked to Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander and Laticia Rolle.