At the height of his career, Shaquille O’Neal dubbed himself ‘Superman’.
It might have seemed egotistical, but O’Neal’s personality was celebrated worldwide for being even bigger than his body. The nickname stuck throughout one of the most successful NBA careers of all time, and remains relevant even today, as the Shaq Attack continues across the worlds of business and entertainment.
GROWING UP
When O’Neal was an infant, his father went to jail for drug possession and, upon his eventual release, cut ties permanently with his family. Not long after, his mother remarried. O’Neal’s stepfather, an Army Reserve sergeant, was abusive, often reprimanding O’Neal with a belt, or even a fist.
To take his mind off his home life, O’Neal spent his time shooting hoops at the local Boys and Girls Club. It was a safe place to play, and kept many children like O’Neal off the streets. He wasn’t part of a team, but it didn’t matter; basketball was his favourite outlet, no matter the form it took.
From a young age, O’Neal was a standout due to his size. At the age of four he was over three-feet tall, and would eventually make a habit of carrying his birth certificate around while trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Most of O’Neal’s youth was spent in transit due to his stepfather’s career. They first moved around bases in the United States, then to Germany in the mid-80s. Eventually, they settled in Texas, where O’Neal’s talent really began to shine through.
Over two years, he lead his high school team to a win record of 68-1, winning the championship in his senior year. During the 1989 season he claimed 791 rebounds, a state record that remains intact to this day.
Following graduation, O’Neal enrolled in business at Louisiana State University, and joined the college basketball team under coach Dale Brown, whom he had met during his time in Europe. During this period, O’Neal was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men’s basketball player of the year in 1991.
THE BIG ARISTOTLE
Before O’Neal completed his studies, the NBA began to call his name.
He made the decision to drop out of college, but promised his mother that he would return to his studies as soon as he was able. Later, he would reaffirm his belief in the value of education for athletes by completing his doctorate at Barry University.
In 1992, O’Neal was claimed as the first overall pick in the NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. Before moving to Orlando to commence the season, O’Neal spent time under the tutelage of legendary Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
Where some struggled to find their footing in their rookie season, O’Neal shined. He was named Player of the Week after only his first game in the league, was named the 1993 Rookie of the Year, and was the first rookie since Michael Jordan to be voted an All-Star Starter. The Magic ended the season 41-41, winning 20 more games than in their previous season.
His second season was even better, with Orlando making it to the playoffs. O’Neal was a standout, though the team lost. The next year, they made the finals, and O’Neal was the highest-scoring player in the NBA.
O’Neal soon stood out as a rare gregarious personality in the game. He loved giving interviews…when he felt like it (otherwise he would mumble incomprehensibly in his deep voice), and gave himself nicknames like ‘Superman’ and ‘The Big Aristotle’ “…because Aristotle once said ‘Excellence is not a singular act: it is a habit. You are what you repeatedly do'”.
Following a year plagued with injury that saw him miss 28 games, O’Neal was inducted into the US Olympic team, which went on to win the Gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
While the Olympic team had been training in Orlando. O’Neal became a free agent. His incredible $115 million dollar offer, and power struggle under coach Brian Hill, soon saw local opinion turn against him, something his teammates were quick to bring up. Local media claimed him an unfit role model, due to a long term relationship with a girlfriend with whom he had no immediate plans to marry.
O’Neal said he felt like “…a big fish in a dried-up pond”.
After his first game at the Olympics, it was revealed that O’Neal had signed to the LA Lakers, in a seven-year, $121 million deal.
When asked if the money was a primary factor in his decision to relocate, O’Neal joked “I’m tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok,” referencing some of his endorsement deals.
In LA, O’Neal reached the prime of his career. The Lakers won the 2000, 2001, and 2002 titles, and O’Neal was named MVP all three times, and became the highest scoring average centre in NBA finals history.
O’Neal sat out the start of the 2002-2003 season while recovering from toe surgery. The team started losing games, the head coach was replaced, and a significant amount of franchise effort was directed towards appeasing Laker’s prodigy Kobe Bryant. He was traded to the Miami Heat at the end of the season.
He took Miami to the 2006 finals, where he won his forth title, but the following years were not as successful. O’Neal was getting older, and public doubt hampered his performance. He played a single season for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics, before retiring at the end of 2011. He announced his departure on Twitter.
“We did it. Nineteen years, baby. I want to thank you very much. That’s why I’m telling you first. I’m about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon.”
Even in his final season, O’Neal was achieving personal bests.
He left the NBA a four time champion, three time finals MVP, a once NBA MVP, and 15 time All-Star, with 28, 596 points to his name.
WHAT CAME AFTER
Where many athletes disappear from the public eye upon retirement, O’Neal remained as relevant as ever.
His pursuits in the entertainment industry started in 1993, when he released his first of five rap albums, Shaq Diesel. Though critically panned, it was certified as platinum.
O’Neal followed this up with acting, starring in films including Blue Chips, Kazaam, and Steel (for which he was nominated as Worst Actor at the Razzie Awards).
His video game, Shaq Fu, is considered one of the worst of all time.
The negative press has never caused O’Neal to falter. For him, the accomplishment can be found in the process, not the result. Just recently, he even announced that Shaq Fu 2 is in the works.
Where O’Neal made his most significant strides, however, was in business. While still in the midst of his basketball career, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts degree, missing a home game in 2000 to attend his graduation. At the ceremony, he announced “now I can go and get a real job”.
O’Neal has championed the need for professional athletes to pursue education, affirming a belief that they must attend three years of college before being accepted into the NBA. He says the priority is not how much money a player can make, but how they can hold onto it after their professional career is over.
O’Neal went on to receive his doctorate, and studied directing and cinematography at the New York Academy’s Filmmaking Conservatory. He has plans to go to law school eventually, in order to establish his own firm.
He has been in active bond investor since the 90s, investing in companies including PepsiCo and Apple. He has also invested in small startup companies, and undertaken a real estate venture in Orlando that sees him buy houses from those struggling to make their mortgage repayments in order to sell them back to the owners under more reasonable conditions. He makes a small profit on each home, but sees the move primarily as an investment in the city that gave him his big shot at success.
O’Neal is also an honorary US Deputy Marshall, having been sworn in in 2005.
Today, Shaquille O’Neal is as much a Superman figure as he was in the prime of his career. Even when life threatens not to go his way, or his entrepreneurial endeavours don’t quite work out, he remains steadfast and determined to move forward.
“I’m on a mission. And I know the older I get, I may lose a step or two, but it’s all up in the medulla oblongata. I’ve got a lot up there. I’ve got a lot of knowledge… in this medulla oblongata.”