Summary
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972) is a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat. O'Neal is known for his size (7-foot-1, up to at least 360 pounds and a size 23 shoe), strength and physical style of play. O'Neal is considered one of the best players in the basketball history and has won four NBA championships, including three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat. The 2006-07 season is O'Neal's 16th in the NBA; he has been selected to the All-Star team each year. O'Neal was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and the Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002. In 1996, the 50th anniversary of the NBA's founding, O'Neal was named one of the 5...
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972) is a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat. O'Neal is known for his size (7-foot-1, up to at least 360 pounds and a size 23 shoe), strength and physical style of play. O'Neal is considered one of the best players in the basketball history and has won four NBA championships, including three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat. The 2006-07 season is O'Neal's 16th in the NBA; he has been selected to the All-Star team each year. O'Neal was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and the Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002. In 1996, the 50th anniversary of the NBA's founding, O'Neal was named one of the 50 greatest players in league history by a panel of former players, coaches, general managers, team executives and media. O'Neal was the youngest player among the top 50. In addition to his professional accomplishments, O'Neal is one of the most popular figures in sports, considered appealing to fans because of the likeable image he portrays despite his intimidating size. His stardom is such that he most often is referred to only by his nickname, "Shaq," and over the years has also given himself other enduring nicknames like "Diesel" and "The Big Aristotle." O'Neal's stepfather, Phillip Harrison, married his mother Lucille when Shaquille was an infant. Harrison was a member of the United States Army, so O'Neal once lived on a U.S. Army base in Wildflecken, West Germany. O'Neal graduated from Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he didn't play basketball until he was a junior. O'Neal has said he considers his birthplace of Newark, N.J. to be home. O'Neal was a two-time All-American at Louisiana State University under coach Dale Brown, who discovered O'Neal during a visit to Germany. In 1991 O'Neal earned the Adolph Rupp trophy, presented to college basketball's top player. After three seasons at LSU, O'Neal declared for the 1992 NBA Draft and was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Orlando Magic. O'Neal immediately established himself as a physical force in the post and demanded constant double teams because of his size and strength. O'Neal's presence altered the game because defenders would leave their men to help with O'Neal, leading to more open shots for O'Neal's teammates. O'Neal's physical play and ability to open the floor for his teammates have been cited as his most valuable assets over his career. O'Neal was named the league's rookie of the year after averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and shooting 56 percent from the floor for Orlando in 1992-93. The Magic improved its victory total by 20 games from the season before. O'Neal would play three additional seasons for Orlando, leading the Magic to a Finals loss to Houston in 1995, before signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. With the Lakers, O'Neal built on his reputation as a dominant player and gained more popularity while playing for one of the league's glamour franchises and for coach Phil Jackson, who had coached Michael Jordan in Chicago. But the Lakers advanced no further than the second round of the playoffs during O'Neal's first three seasons with the team. In 2000, O'Neal teamed with emerging star Kobe Bryant to win the first of three straight NBA championships. The Lakers lost to San Antonio in the second round of the 2003 playoffs before making it back to the Finals in 2004, losing to the Detroit Pistons. During this time the internal bickering between O'Neal and Bryant became public, eventually leading to a rift that prompted O'Neal to ask Lakers owner Jerry Buss for a trade. O'Neal claimed Buss rebuffed O'Neal's desire for a contract extension and sided with Bryant in their feud. In the summer of 2004 the Heat acquired O'Neal by sending Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant to Los Angeles. O'Neal teamed with young star Dwyane Wade to immediately elevate the Heat to championship contenders. O'Neal had a strong season while leading the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals, where it lost to Detroit in seven games. O'Neal played more of a supporting role to Wade the next season as the Heat beat Detroit in the East finals and went on to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. O'Neal had his least productive professional season in 2006-07. O'Neal shot 59 percent from the field but averaged career lows of 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 28.4 minutes per game. Shaq has appeared in several motion pictures including Kazaam, The Kid and I and more recently, Scary Movie 4. In 2007 he produced and starred in a television series, Shaq's Big Challenge aimed at helping kids get back into shape. This reality TV show focused on six Florida pre-teens and their battle to lose weight. In September 2007 O'Neal filed for divorce in Miami-Dade Circuit Court from Shaunie, his wife of five years. The O'Neal's, who resided on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida, have four children together. Each also has one child from previous relationships.
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Halftime hits
When the clock struck midnight, 2008 was half over. That's one-half less over than Roger Clemens' career. It's completely kaput, along with his reputation. Roger the Dodger's fall from grace might be the biggest story of the year. Or would it be the...Tags: New England Patriots, Hillary Clinton, Arlen Specter, Dwight Howard, Heart Disease
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Fox's voice of baseball badmouths the sport
Grilling up a few sports media notes and trying not to drop them where the dog can scarf them up: • Joe Buck was discussing baseball on Colin Cowherd's ESPN Radio show this week, specifically comparing it with the NFL and talking about how pro...Tags: Baseball, National Basketball Association, David Hasselhoff, Television Industry, Belmont Stakes
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Gator grad in hunt of hot dog title
Sentinel ColumnistBefore you criticize Hall "Hoover" Hunt of Jacksonville for being a contestant in Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, remember that he's eating for the Gators. "I feel like the Gators have to be the top-ranked in the world in every sport,"...Tags: Kobe Bryant, Orlando Magic, Corey Maggette, Athletics, Track and Field, National Basketball Association
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Free agents who could attract Heat interest
Staff Writer Ira Winderman looks at free agents who could attract Heat interest: ++++++++++++++++++++ || Player || Pos. || Team || Comment || || Carlos Arroyo || G || Magic || Has doubters but also has his moments || || Matt Barnes || F || Warriors ||...Tags: Carlos Arroyo, James Jones, Jamaal Magloire, Chris Duhon, Basketball
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Derrick Rose: Just can't beat coming home
Well, Derrick Martell Rose, welcome home. I enjoyed Monday morning very much. I enjoyed meeting your big brother, Dwayne. I enjoyed meeting your new coach, Vinny. How lovely to see your name up in lights on that United Center scoreboard and to find a...Tags: Ben Wallace, Vinny Del Negro, United Center, Jamal Crawford, Randy Brown
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Lakers Extend Offers To Vujacic, Turiaf
Associated PressEL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers have given qualifying offers to restricted free agents Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf. General manager Mitch Kupchak announced the moves Monday. The Lakers, beaten by Boston in six games in the NBA finals,...Tags: Orlando, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles County, National Basketball Association, Basketball
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Fans can expect more unexpected during rest of '08
Sentinel ColumnistWhen the clock strikes midnight, 2008 will be half over. That's one-half less over than Roger Clemens' career. It's completely kaput, along with his reputation. Roger the Dodger's fall from grace might be the biggest story of the year. Or would it be...Tags: New England Patriots, Hillary Clinton, Arlen Specter, Dwight Howard, Heart Disease
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Rocco Mediate's banner year in golf has been fun
Los Angeles Times Staff WriterIt's banner year for Mediate Mal Florence, who died in 2003 at age 77 after more than 50 years as a Times sportswriter, used to say he'd like to come back in another life as a professional golfer. "I wouldn't want to be a Tiger Woods, that would be...Tags: Clubs and Associations, Kobe Bryant, Lee Janzen, Football, CBS Corp.
Jul 5, 2008
|Story| Baltimore Sun
Jul 4, 2008
|Column| Baltimore Sun
Jul 3, 2008
|Column| Orlando Sentinel
Jun 30, 2008
|Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Jul 1, 2008
|Column| Chicago Tribune
Jun 30, 2008
|Story| KTLA-TV
Jun 30, 2008
|Column| Orlando Sentinel
Jul 1, 2008
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Jun 25, 2008
|Resource Link| Orlando Sentinel
Jun 25, 2008
|Resource Link| Orlando Sentinel
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