Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas. He joined the Phoenix Suns team in 2007-2009 and got a co-MVP award along with his ex-colleague Kobe Bryant from Los Angeles Lakers team. [36] O'Neal had a power struggle while playing under Hill. Shaquille O' Neal has arguably been the best media personality in the entire NBA for around a decade now. During the game, O'Neal flopped against Howard. O'Neal only made one three-point shot during his entire career. Watch #AEWDynamite this Wednesday night on @TNTDrama 8e/7c or AEWPlus.com by @FiteTV for our International fans. The top 31 players and coaches. [305][306] Nelson also has one son from a previous relationship, Myles. It refers to the idea that he was the Last Center Left. Please logout and login again. It occurred on March 13, 2001, when Pierced dropped 42 points on Shaq . But his actual basketball career gave birth within itself when he joined the Orlando Magic NBA team in 1992. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? [14] He has appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows, Shaq's Big Challenge and Shaq Vs. He played in 73 games, his most since 2001 season, averaged 22.9 points a game along with 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Most of Shaquille's self-applied names are famous in NBA history. Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (/kil/ sh-keel; born March 6, 1972), nicknamed Shaq (/k/ shak), is an American sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Poll : Is 300 pounds of greatness a good nickname? One must wonder about what they did together and how they enjoyed each other's company. O'Neal was featured alongside Michael Jackson as a guest rapper on "2 Bad", a song from Jackson's 1995 album HIStory. But this ranks lower because it also has The Big X formula. The Big Aristotle -- Shaq became the greatest philosopher of our time after winning the 2000 MVP award. King Kobe 12. Its not my thing. Big Fella Further, his latest dream is to complete his law course. He is not one of the best dressers in the league, though. LeBron James was in his first stint with the Cavs and had only made one appearance in the NBA Finals at that point. His trophy case includes four NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs, a regular-season MVP, two scoring championships, and multiple retired jerseys not to mention his partnership with the late Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the greatest in league history. 8 min read. Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the most noted dancers in the history of ballet. The Lakers finished the season 6121, first in the Pacific Division, and were the second seed in the western conference during the 1998 NBA Playoffs. "I'm a guy with no talent who has gotten this way with hard work. He has enough cake. Kobe Bryant. O'Neal was in L.A.dressed and ready to go to a party to meet up withBiggie before he was murderedaccording to Shaq. [241], A lifelong professional wrestling fan, O'Neal has made numerous appearances at televised events over the years for four different promotions. The nickname is supposed to suggest that he has the power and endurance of a diesel engine. "The Big Shamrock" was thought up by Shaqthe NBA's resident entertainer for years. [85] It was the first time in 13 years that O'Neal did not advance into the second round. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Awards 2 wins & 6 nominations Photos 139 Known for Steel 2.9 John Henry Irons 1997 O'Neal starred in Shaq Fu, a fighting game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. 33. The Boston Pops perform a holiday concert every winter. What do you think his new nickname should be. [83], In a rematch of the year before, the Heat faced the Bulls in the first round of the 200607 NBA playoffs. But apparently, it was something Shaq wanted. Upon signing with the Heat, O'Neal promised the fans that he would bring a championship to Miami. Nice try, though. Journalists and others gave O'Neal several nicknames, including "Shaq", "The Diesel", "Shaq Fu", "The Big Daddy", "Superman", "The Big Agave", "The Big Cactus", "The Big Shaqtus", "The Big Galactus", "Wilt Chamberneezy", "The Big Baryshnikov", "The Real Deal", "The Big Shamrock", "The Big Leprechaun", "Shaqovic",[154][155] and "The Big Conductor". After defeating the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics in the first two rounds, the Lakers again fell to the Jazz, this time in a 40 sweep.[50]. Despite battles with the likes of Duncan, Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo, there were few instances when Shaq wasnt the best big man on the floor. What are all the nicknames Shaq has given to NBA players? O'Neal started all 33 games and averaged 14.2 points per game. [172] On June 22, 2008, O'Neal freestyled a diss rap about Bryant in a New York club. In 1994, the Shaq Fu video game was released for Super NES and Sega Genesis, and in 1995, the Shaq Fu game was ported to platforms like the Game Gear, Game Boy, and Commodore Amiga. And he loved to give himself nicknames. [285], In 2021, O'Neal, among other high-profile athletes and celebrities, was a paid spokesperson for FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange. O'Neal is one of the first African Americans to portray a major comic book superhero in a motion picture, having starred as John Henry Irons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Steel. I was upset. Far too often they are boring and predictable. He played way too passively. Shaquille O'Neal has a big heart to give away some of his nicknames to the players, equivalent to his prowess. [78], In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Heat first faced the younger Chicago Bulls, and O'Neal delivered a dominating 27 point, 16 rebound and 5 blocks performance in game 1 followed by a 22-point effort in game 2 to help Miami take a 20 lead in the series. He made the shot during the 199596 NBA season with the Orlando Magic. He had first met Tigers coach Dale Brown years earlier in Europe when O'Neal's stepfather was stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany. Bad luck still haunted the squad, however, as Wade dislocated his left shoulder, leaving O'Neal as the focus of the team. You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter. [145] O'Neal believes his free throw woes were a mental issue, as he often shot 80percent in practice. Sports", "NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal celebrates Northampton's promotion", https://www.mediareferee.com/nba-is-shaq-shaquille-oneal-a-dallas-cowboys-fan/, "Shaquille O'Neal scores a two-house compound outside of Atlanta", "Shaquille O'Neal explains why he had resisted voting before this year's election", "Shaq Says Upset Mom Who Slapped Money Out Of His Hand, Made Him Ultimately Turn Down $40M Shoe Deal", "The Queen of Basketball" documentary produced by Shaquille O'Neal, Stephen Curry wins Oscar ESPN.com, "Shaquille O'Neal makes debut as late-night TV host", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shaquille_O%27Neal&oldid=1142226593, Episode: "A So Random! Shaquille O'Neal, however, has more than your average sports star. O'Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and had the highest scoring average for a center in NBA Finals history.[62]. Both played for the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team and were great centers in NBA history.). Before 2010, he was the last active American player to have a gold from the FIBA World Cup. Shaquille O'Neal 5,250. Some of his other nicknames are: "Shaq Diesel" "The Big Aristotle" "Superman (before Dwight Howard)" "Shaq-Fu" "The Big Agave" "The Big Shaqtus . O'Neal left LSU early to pursue his NBA career, but continued his education even after becoming a professional player. While he led the Dream Team II to the gold medal with an 80 record, O'Neal averaged 18 points and 8.5 rebounds and recorded two double-doubles. As a play off one of his other nicknames, The Big Aristotle, Shaq went with "The Big Cactus" because why not? [210] O'Neal appeared as Officer Fluzoo in the comedy sequel Grown Ups 2. The Heat struggled against the Bulls and although O'Neal put up reasonable numbers, he was not able to dominate the series. Shaq has a Superman tattoo on his right arm and has long used the nickname Superman as part of his branding. [250] A match was proposed for WrestleMania 33, which O'Neal accepted. [137] He rejected an offer to play in the 2004 Olympics,[138] and although he was initially interested in being named for 20062008 US preliminary roster,[139] he eventually declined the invitation.[140]. Jackson immediately challenged O'Neal, telling him "the [NBA's] MVP trophy should be named after him when he retired. Must See 19. Kobe Jolly Green Bryant 16. CHARLOTTE, N.C. The irony wasn't lost on Kevin Durant as he walked down a back hallway at the Spectrum Center, exiting the building . I'm an unorthodox type of guy, a funny guyat least I think I'm funny. Y'all don't eat at the same places. [37][38] O'Neal's Olympic teammates teased him over the poll. "[235][236][237], In October 2022, O'Neal signed a long-term contract extension with Warner Bros. [268] In June 2015, he invested in technology startup Loyale3 Holdings Inc., a San Francisco brokerage firm whose website and mobile app enables companies to sell a piece of their IPOs directly to small investors who put up as a little as $100 and also allows investors to regularly buy small amounts of shares in already public companies. [330] On January 11, 2014, O'Neal performed the ceremonial first puck and drove a Zamboni for a game between the Devils and the Florida Panthers. He was good with a witty phrase, but it was still an awkward nickname. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. and continued to pretend that he did not know who Bryant was until well into the 200506 season.[171]. [47] O'Neal averaged 26.2 points and 12.5 rebounds in his first season with Los Angeles; however, he again missed over 30 games due to injury. These are the ones that I know: Paul Pierce: The Truth Dwayne Wade: The Flash Tim Duncan: Big Fundamental Kawhi Leonard: Sugar K Leonard Robin Lopez: Barbeque Chicken Javale McGee: Tragic Bronson Dorell Wright: Dorell Wrong Erick Dampier: Erica Dampier Yao Ming: Ching Chong Darling also alleged that O'Neal had used law enforcement contacts to obtain restricted information on those mistresses, and that O'Neal subsequently threw his laptop into a lake to destroy possible evidence. "It's not going to be man-on-man, so don't even try that," says O'Neal with an incredulous laugh. [58] He was ready for the start of the 200102 regular season, but the toe frequently bothered him. But that does not make sense to me. They freestyle when called upon. Yes, this nickname as well"Shaq Diesel"has its roots in 1990s hip-hop "slanguage." At Jonathan Burke's Gracie Gym, he trained in boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling. Amid tension between O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, and his fourth NBA championship followed in 2006. Looking at this picture of Shaq andthe Terminator's ex and son, I'm sure you agree. O'Neal is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. 4. Jokic, the Western Conference's winner for the . The three-minute song was released in response to Ball claiming him and his younger son LaMelo, would beat O'Neal and his son Shareef in a game of basketball. The Big Blank formula is used for many of ONeals nicknames. [63], Opposing teams often used up many fouls on O'Neal, reducing the playing time of their own big men. Shaq says Yao comments were said in jest", "Shaq: 'I've been playing like Erick Dampier', An A-to-Z remembrance of Shaq's careerbasketball and (mostly) otherwise, "Shaq Attacks Kobe: You Ruined My Marriage", "Snoop Dogg, Nas, Cory Gunz See Nothing Wrong With Shaquille O'Neal's Anti-Kobe Freestyle", "Shaq booted from sheriff's 'posse' for Kobe rap", "Shaquille O'Neal Presents His Superfriends, Vol. He averaged 26.6 points and 11 rebounds per game, made the All-NBA 3rd Team, and played in his 4th All-Star Game. Big Baryshnikov Player/Athlete: Alonzo Mourning, Anfernee Hardaway, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson, Derrick Coleman, Dominique Wilkins . 34 jersey on April 2, 2013.[151]. [268] In late 2016, he purchased the Krispy Kreme location at 295 Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta. NBA on TNT @NBAonTNT "300 pounds of greatness" . In September 2016, O'Neal said: "When I was in Cleveland, we were in first place. [253][254] After weeks of discussion, the match was cancelled. With that context, Wilt Chamberneezy works. At his introductory press conference, Shaq said My motto is very simple: Win a ring for the King and My job is to protect the King. After playing college basketball for the LSU Tigers, O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. [299] Both Robin Wright in her book Rock the Casbah as well as the Los Angeles Times have identified O'Neal as a Muslim. He did go back and finish his degree as an NBA player, so he is not some fool. I wanna be different. Now, both The Stilt and The Diesel have their jerseys hanging in the rafters at Staples Center. [279] He has also appeared in television commercials promoting the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive league ELeague. O'Neal will be visiting Korea for a promotion and will be visiting the school on the last day. Shaq Fu -- Shaq Fu was a Super Nintendo System video game that was released in 1995. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for, 60+ Funny Orc Names That Are Perfect For Your Next Campaign, All Of The Pillar Men Names From JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, 100+ Ice Hockey, Roller Hockey, And Hockey Team Names From Past And Present, 80+ Beaver Names From Fiction, Plus Cute And Funny Ideas For Names. Others use them to show off their uniqueness. I had trouble with it when I was little. It's probably the only one ever displayed in a game by an NBA center. O'Neal began training in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2000. Just ask the ladies. Shaquille O'Neal Basketball, Kryptonite 46 Copy quote I don't know how it is for you earthlings, but where I'm from, strength is mental. degree in Human Resource Development from Barry in 2012. The Kidadl Team is made up of people from different walks of life, from different families and backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. In the summer of 1996, O'Neal was named to the United States Olympic basketball team, and was later part of the gold medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. [259][260][261] He appeared on the December 9 episode of AEW Dynamite and addressed AEW in a sit-down interview with Tony Schiavone and Brandi Rhodes. [33] O'Neal improved his scoring average to 29.4 points (second in the league to David Robinson) while leading the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%. In December 2010, Shaq became The Big Conductor. Having a unique nickname have a lot of advantages. [16], O'Neal was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey, to Lucille O'Neal and Joe Toney, who played high school basketball (he was an All-State guard) and was offered a basketball scholarship to play at Seton Hall. O'Neal is a 2009 inductee of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Checkout the latest stats for Shaquille Leonard. O'Neal and Barkley have fun making fun and taking shots at one another, and the conversation in the Tweet is just another showcasing of their relationship. Throughout his playing career, he picked up (and gave. Thousands of randomly generated ideas - funny, weird, creative, fancy, badass and more! What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? The man could spit fire in addition to throwing it down. "[118] Publicly, he insisted he did not care whether he started or substituted for the Celtics, but expected to be part of the second unit. I don't wanna end up in the booth after the games telling you what I think and talking smack about the guys on the floor when they are a lot better than that. In 2016, ESPN ranked Shaq the fourth-best center of all time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. [8], O'Neal's individual accolades include the 19992000 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award; the 199293 NBA Rookie of the Year award; 15 All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards; three Finals MVP awards; two scoring titles; 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. However, his high school team did not have a 33 jersey, so O'Neal chose to wear No. I'm about to retire. I had a good life. the name of one of the worst video games in history. And Kryptonite doesn't exist. The 2nd Golden Age began when Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, and David Robinson faced off regularly in the league. Excluding those that he adopted later in his career like Big Shaqtus or Big Shamrock here are the noms de plume that Shaq (also a nickname) went by during his time in Los Angeles. Shaquille O'Neal's Education- He graduated from Robert C. Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas. For example, here are some of the best nicknames for Shaq that I have brainstormed: Once youre done brainstorming, go through your ideas and select a handful of them. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. degree in general studies from LSU,[187] with a minor in political science. Make sure to select such a name that will impress everyone. Other Kobe Bryant nicknames include: 9. If I could have ranked this one lower, I would have. In 19931994, O'Neal's second season, Hill was the coach and Guokas was reassigned to the front office. He accomplished his dream with a 3.813 GPA and 1100 graduates in the commencement ceremony. [90] O'Neal made his Suns debut on February 20, 2008, against his former Lakers team, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in the process. He led the Lakers to the NBA's Big Dance three boogiesin a row. O'Neal led the audience to mockingly chant several times "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes". The LSU grad had a hugely successful career on the floor.