Shaquille O’Neal is a former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He is a four-time NBA Champion and he also has been named the NBA Finals MVP thrice. In 2000, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player.
O’Neal played for a number of teams in the NBA, most notably the Los Angeles Lakers. His playing career spanned from 1992 to 2011 and he has played under Jersey numbers 32, 34, 33, and 36.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey, the U.S. He stands 216 cm tall, and his weight was last listed at 147 kg. His parents are Joe Toney and Lucille O’Neal. He was raised by his mother and stepfather Phillip Arthur Harrison as O’Neal’s biological father was not in the picture.
Position | Center |
Height / weight | 2.16 m / 147 kg |
Born | 6 Mar 1972 |
Nationality | United States |
Playing Style | Right Handed |
Nickname | Shaq |
Team History | |
Boston | 2010 - 2011 |
Cleveland | 2009 - 2010 |
Phoenix | 2008 - 2009 |
Miami Heat | 2004 - 2008 |
Los Angeles | 1996 - 2004 |
Orlando | 1992 - 1996 |
Both of his parents were tall at over 180 cm. By the time he was 13, he was 198 cm tall. Since his father was in the military, O’Neal spent time abroad and attended high school in Germany.
High School and College Career
While in Germany, he attended the Fulda American in Fulda, Germany. When the family came back to the United States, he attended Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas. As a high school player, he was known for making hook shots, which got him compared to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
After high school, he attended Louisiana State University where he was coached by Dale Brown. While in college, he was named an All-American twice. In 1991, he was also named the NCAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. The LSU has a 900-lb bronze statue of O’Neal in front of their LSU Basketball Practice Facility.
Professional Career
O’Neal was drafted into the NBA during the 1992 NBA Draft. He was the first overall pick of the draft and was chosen by the Orlando Magic. In his first week with the league, he was named the Player of the Week. He was later named the 1993 Rookie of the Year. In that season, he was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
In his first season, he was also named to the NBA All-Star team for the first time. He would be named to the All-Star team 15 times in total. He has also been named to the All-NBA First Team, the All-NBA Second Team, and the All-NBA Third Team a number of times throughout his career.
In 2000, O’Neal became an NBA Champion for the first time. He was already playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time. He would lead the Lakers to championships again in 2001 and 2002. In those three years, O’Neal was named the NBA Finals MVP.
When he switched over to the Miami Heat in 2004, O’Neal won the 2006 NBA Championship. In 2008, O’Neal signed to play with the Phoenix Suns. He later played with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He switched teams one more time in 2010 to play for the Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.
Off the court, O’Neal has dipped his hand in acting, and rap, and he even went through the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Academy Reserve.
Career Highlights
- 2000–2002, 2006 - NBA champion
- 2000–2002 - NBA Finals MVP
- 2000 - NBA Most Valuable Player
- 1993–1998, 2000–2007, 2009 - NBA All-Star
- 2000, 2004, 2009 - NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 1998, 2000–2006 - All-NBA First Team
- 1995, 1999 - All-NBA Second Team
- 1994, 1996, 1997, 2009 - All-NBA Third Team
- 2000, 2001, 2003 - NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- 1993 - NBA Rookie of the Year
- 1993 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
- 1995, 2000 - NBA scoring champion
2000, 2001 - IBM Award
- NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)
- No. 34 retired by the Los Angeles Lakers
No. 32 retired by the Miami Heat
- 1991 - Associated Press Player of the Year
- 1991 - UPI Player of the Year
- 1991 - Adolph Rupp Trophy
- 1991, 1992 - Consensus first-team All-American
- 1991, 1992 - SEC Player of the Year
- 1992 - NCAA blocks leader
1991 - NCAA rebounding leader
- No. 33 retired by LSU Tigers
- 1994 - FIBA World Championship MVP
- 1994 - USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
- 1989 - McDonald’s All-American Game Co-MVP
- 1989 - First-team Parade All-American
- 1989 - Texas Mr. Basketball
Career Statistics
- Points - 28,596 (23.7 ppg)
- Rebounds - 13,099 (10.9 rpg)
Blocks - 2,732 (2.3 bpg)
- Basketball Hall of Fame as a Player
- FIBA Hall of Fame as a Player
- College Basketball Hall of Fame
Medal Record, Men’s basketball, representing the United States
- Gold - 1996 Olympic Games Atlanta
- Gold - 1994 FIBA World Cup Toronto
People Ask
How tall is Shaquille O’Neal?
He stands 216 cm or 7 feet and 1 inch tall. His weight was listed at 147 kg.
How many times did Shaquille O’Neal win the NBA championship?
He has 4. He won the championship 4 times in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2006.
When was Shaquille O’Neal named NBA MVP?
He was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2000.
User Comments
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breanne hale
this was great it gave me alot of info on shaq and it was the most dicriptive biography that i have read yet!
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