SHAQUILLE O'NEAL
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972), often referred to by his nickname "Shaq", is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst. Standing 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m) tall, O'Neal played as a center for six different teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a four-time NBA champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and the 2000 NBA MVP. He is widely regarded as one of the most dominant centers in NBA history and one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
After playing college basketball for the LSU Tigers, O'Neal was selected by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1992–93 and led his team to the 1995 NBA Finals. After four years with the Magic, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. He and the Lakers won the NBA championship in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Amid a feud between O'Neal and his teammate Kobe Bryant, O'Neal was traded in 2004 to the Miami Heat, where he won his fourth NBA championship in 2006. During the last several years of his career he spent short stints with the Phoenix Suns, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics.
O'Neal's accolades include 15 All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, 14 All-NBA team selections, three NBA All-Defensive Team selections and two scoring titles. He is one of three players to be named NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP and Finals MVP in the same year. He ranks 9th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 15th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks. He had a 58.2% career field goal percentage and led the league in field goal percentage ten times. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the FIBA Hall of Fame, and was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team as one of the greatest players in league history.
In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, including the platinum-certified Shaq Diesel (1993) and the gold-certified Shaq Fu: Da Return (1994). Under the name Diesel, he produces electronic music and tours as a DJ. He has appeared in numerous films and has starred in reality shows such as Shaq Vs. and Shaq's Big Challenge. O'Neal is the general manager of the Sacramento State Hornets men's basketball team.
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