Who Is Shaquille O’Neal?
Shaquille O’Neal, better known as Shaq, is a former professional basketball player who turned into an on-screen analyst of the post-game TV show, “Inside the NBA.” He has played with different teams during his career. However, he is famous for playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and along with famous Kobe Byrant, they won various awards and championships.
Personal Details
- Celebrity Name: Shaquille O’Neal
- Full Name: Shaquille Rashaun “Shaq” O’Neal
- Gender: Male
- Birth Date: March 6, 1972
- Birth Place: Newark, New Jersey, US
- Age: 48
- Height: 2.16 m
- Weight: 102 kilos
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Status: Divorced
- Wife: Shaunie O’Neal, married 2002-2011
- Children: Amirah, Taahirah, Me’arah, Shaqir, Shareef, Myles
- Profession: Professional basketball player (retired), On-screen game analyst
- Net Worth: $400 million
Early Life
Shaquille O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey to parents Lucille O’Neal and Joe Toney. He went to Robert G. Cole High School where he played basketball and lead his team to victory with an impressive record of 68-1. During his college, he attended Louisiana State University He was awarded “College Player of the Year” in 1991 and was included in the LSU Hall of Fame. However, later on, he dropped out to follow his dream as a basketball player.
Personal Life
In 2002, Shaq got married to Shaunie Nelson but both had a divorce in 2010. They have four children together, Amirah, Taahirah, Me’arah, Shaqir, and Shareef. He also has a son from a previous partner. He is known to be a fan of Northampton Town, an English football club and The New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Currently, he is engaged to Laticia Rolle.
Shaquille O’Neal Career
Shaq was the overall 1st pick by the Orlando Magic in the NBA draft in 1992. He was indeed a talented and skilled basketball player because, in just a week, he became “Player of the Week.” In his first season, he had an average of 23.4 points and had made 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.
In the 94-95 season, he made 29.3 points. Unfortunately, he was not able to participate in 28 games in the 95-96 season. Later on, he became a free agent but was the representative in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Shaq was one of the gold-winning team.
In that same year, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for seven years. Along with his team, they won NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. Two years later, he was traded to Miami Heat and changed his jersey number to 32. In 2006, he won his fourth championship in the NBA.
He was then transferred to Phoenix Suns in 2008. In 2009, he was again transferred to Cleaveland. In 2010, he played for the Boston Celtics. In June 2011, he announced that he is retiring from the professional basketball scene.
Apart from playing basketball, Shaq also released several albums, such as Diesel.
Awards and Achievements
In 1996, Shaq won the CableACE Award. He was also included in the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. He won the NBA championships four times and got the Olympic Gold Medal in 1996. In 1994, Shaq earned the gold medal at the World Championship. He was named “Rookie of the Year” in 1993. Moreover, he won the “NBA Most Valuable Player” in 2000. Lastly, Shaq was included in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Shaquille O’Neal Total Net Worth 2020
To date, Shaquille O’Neal has an estimated net worth of $400 million. His money came mostly from his career as a professional American basketball player. His contract with the Lakers was worth $121 million and $100 million when he was signed into Miami Heat.
Some of his fortunes also came from his career as an actor. He appeared in several movies, such as “Freddy Got Fingered,” “Scary Movie 4,” “Jack and Jill,” “Grown Ups 2,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Apart from his movies, Shaq also had several TV commercials. He is also an investor and had invested in several companies, such as General Electric, PepsiCo, and Apple.
