Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal, known commonly as “Shaq”, is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. O’Neal is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time.What is shaq’s net worth
What is shaq’s net worth
| Net Worth: | $400 Million |
| Salary: | $60 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Mar 6, 1972 (50 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) |
| Profession: | Basketball player, Actor, Rapper, Film Producer, Television producer, Real estate entrepreneur |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
Early Life
Shaquille O’Neal was born on March 6th, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey to parents Lucille O’Neal and Joe Toney. His father was addicted to drugs and went to prison for drug possession when O’Neal was just a baby. His parents never married and his father left soon after Shaq was born, upon his release from prison. O’Neal was estranged from his father for decades. At the age of two, his mother married Phillip Harrison who was a sergeant in the U.S. Army. O’Neal was a part of the Boys and Girls Club of America while growing up and he credits the organization for helping to keep him off the streets. The family moved from Newark and moved around to Germany and Texas. While still in high school, Shaq started to gain attention for his basketball talent. In his senior year, he led the San Antonio’s Robert G. Cole High School team to the state championship. O’Neal went on to Louisiana State University where he became a two-time SEC player of the year and a two-time All American. He also received the Adolph Rupp’s Trophy for the NCAA men’s basketball player of the year in 1991.
Personal Life
Shaq married Shaunie Nelson in December 2002. They have four children together: Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’arah. Shaq also has a daughter, Taahirah, from a previous relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh. O’Neal filed for divorce from Shaunie in September 2007. They changed their mind and withdrew their divorce but in November 2009, Shaunie filed an intent to divorce. She cited irreconcilable differences. O’Neal dated reality star Nicole Alexander from 2010-2012. Since 2014, Shaq has been dating model Laticia Rolle. When Hall of Fame center George Mikan died in June 2005, O’Neal paid for all of his funeral expenses.
Player Profile
Shaq stands at an astonishing 7 feet one inch and his shoe size is a remarkable 23. He became famous largely due to his physical stature, which gave him a distinct advantage over his opponents. On two occasions in his early NBA career, Shaq’s overwhelmingly powerful dunks broke the steel backboard supports of the net. This prompted the league to increase the strength and stability of the backboards from then on. O’Neal is famous for his “drop step” move which he nicknamed the Black Tornado.
Endorsements
Few athletes have embraced endorsements as fully as Shaquille O’Neal. As an instantly recognizable celebrity, a variety of companies have sought him out as a spokesperson. Some of his higher profile endorsements include Pepsi, Carnival Cruise Line and Reebok. A full list of Shaq’s endorsement deals and commercial appearances would be too long to list.
Academic Achievements
One of Shaquille O’Neal’s other great accomplishments is that of gaining a doctoral degree in education. After receiving his masters degree from the University of Phoenix, O’Neal embarked on the course through the private Catholic institution, Barry University. The course was primarily completed online over a number of years, and reflected O’Neal’s passion for education and his interest in continuing to challenge himself.
Highlights
Here are some top highlights of Shaq’s career:
- NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
- NBA finals MVP (2000, 2001, 2002)
- 15 Time NBA All-Star
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (1993)
- Olympic Gold Medalist (1996)
Career
In 1992 O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 1st overall pick in the NBA draft, and before moving to Orlando he was mentored by Magic Johnson.
O’Neal quickly made history by becoming the first player to be named Player of the Week during his first week in the NBA. He played with the Magic until the 1995 season, after which he became a free agent for the following season.
In 1996 he was named to the US Olympic basketball team, which became a gold medal-winning team in 1996. Following the Olympics he joined the LA Lakers on a seven-year contract. O’Neil continued to improve his stats and lead his team to championships.
O’Neal had frequent injuries throughout his career, but his most debilitating injury was his degenerative arthritis in his toe. He had surgery in 2002 and was sidelined for the first 12 games of the 2002-2003 season. The Lakers fell to the fifth seed and did not reach the finals in 2003.
O’Neal’s final few seasons alternated between teams. 2004 until 2008 saw him playing with the Miami Heat, where he experienced more career highs and a few more injuries.
In 2008 he was transferred to the Phoenix Suns for a season. 2009-2010 saw him playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, 2010-2011 was the Boston Celtics, where he retired from.