Shaquille O’Neal Bio | Wiki
Shaquille O’Neal (commonly called “Shaq”) is a popular American retired professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. As of now, Shaquille works as the host of The Big Podcast with Shaq. He is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time.
Shaquille is a 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and 325-pound (147 kg) center who played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a four-time NBA champion. He served as a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings from 2013 through 2022 and is the general manager of Kings Guard Gaming of the NBA 2K League.
Besides, his basketball career, Shaquille has released four rap albums, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going platinum. Shaquille is also an electronic music producer, and touring DJ, known as DIESEL. He has appeared in many films and has starred in his own reality shows, Shaq’s Big Challenge and Shaq Vs.
Shaquille O’Neal Age
Shaquille was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey, in the United States. He is 52 years old. Shaquille celebrates his birthday on March 6, every year.
Shaquille O’Neal Height
He is a man of above-average stature. Shaquille stands at a height of 7 ft 1 in ( Approx. 2.16m ).
Shaquille O’Neal Parents
He was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Lucille O’Neal and Joe Toney, who played high school basketball (he was an All-State guard) and became offered a basketball scholarship to play at Seton Hall. His father Joe struggled with drug addiction and was imprisoned for drug possession when Shaquille was an infant.
After his release, Joe did not resume a place in Shaquille’s life and instead agreed to relinquish his parental rights to his Jamaican stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison, a career Army sergeant. He stayed estranged from his biological father for decades; Shaquille had not spoken with his father Joe or expressed an interest in establishing a relationship. Shaquille was raised by a Baptist mother and a Muslim stepfather named Phillip A. Harrison.
Shaquille O’Neal Wife
He is now dating Nigerian-American actress Annie Ilonzeh. Shaquille was married to his wife Shaunie Nelson. The pair married on December 26, 2002. The two have four children namely Shareef (b. January 11, 2000), Amirah (b. November 13, 2001), Shaqir (b. April 19, 2003), and Me’arah (b. May 1, 2006). Shaunie also has one son from a former relationship named Myles. Shaquille also has a daughter named Taahirah O’Neal (b. July 19, 1996) from a former relationship with his ex-girlfriend named Arnetta Yardbourgh.
On September 4, 2007, Shaquille filed for divorce from Shaunie in a Miami-Dade Circuit court. Shaunie afterward said that the couple had gotten back together and that the divorce was withdrawn. However, on November 10, 2009, she filed an intent to divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
During the summer of 2010, Shaquille started dating reality TV star Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander. The two lived at Shaquille’s home in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and afterward split in August 2012. Shaquille started dating Laticia Rolle, a model, from Gardner, Massachusetts, in early 2014. The two later split in March 2018.
Shaquille O’Neal Son
In 2015, his son Shareef was seen in high school basketball highlights as a 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) freshman power forward and had been described as having a “polar opposite playing style to his father” due to his more athletic build and better shooting range. His son Shareef played in college for the UCLA Bruins before transferring to LSU.
Shaquille O’Neal Children
Shaquille and his ex-wife Shaunie Nelson have four children namely Shareef (b. January 11, 2000), Amirah (b. November 13, 2001), Shaqir (b. April 19, 2003), and Me’arah (b. May 1, 2006). Shaquille also has a daughter named Taahirah O’Neal (b. July 19, 1996) from a previous relationship with his ex-girlfriend named Arnetta Yardbourgh. He is a stepfather to Shaunie Nelson’s son Myles.
In 2015, his son Shareef was seen in high school basketball highlights as a 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) freshman power forward and had been described to have a “polar opposite playing style to his father” due to his more athletic build and better shooting range. His son Shareef played in college for the UCLA Bruins before transferring to LSU.
Shaquille O’Neal Education
He attended Robert G. Cole High School where he played basketball and led his team to a 68–1 record over two years and helped the team win the state championship during his senior year. Following graduating from high school, Shaquille studied business at Louisiana State University (LSU).
Shaquille had first met Tigers coach Dale Brown years earlier in Europe when Shaquille’s stepfather was stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany. While playing for Brown at LSU, Shaquille was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, and won the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men’s basketball player of the year in 1991; Shaquille became also named college player of the year by AP and UPI. Shaquille left LSU early to pursue his NBA career but continued his education even after becoming a professional player. Late on, Shaquille was inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame.
He graduated in 2000, earning his B.A. degree in general studies from LSU, with a minor in political science. Shaquille received an online MBA degree through the University of Phoenix in 2005. Toward the end of his playing career, Shaquille started working on an educational doctorate at Barry University. Shaquille’s doctoral capstone topic was “The Duality of Humor and Aggression in Leadership Styles”.
In 2012, Shaquille received his Ed.D. degree in Human Resource Development from Barry. In 2009, Shaquille attended the Sportscaster U. training camp at S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He has also pursued directing and cinematography with the New York Film Academy’s Filmmaking Conservatory.
Shaquille O’Neal Podcast
Shaquille works as the host of The Big Podcast with Shaq alongside Nischelle Turner & Spice Adams who join Shaq every week to go big on everything from music and sports to what’s trending in pop culture. Additionally, you know it’s bound to be a good time when DJ Diesel breaks out his turntables and welcomes a celebrity friend or two on The Big Podcast.
Shaquille O’Neal Basketball
Following playing college basketball for the LSU Tigers, Shaquille was drafted by the Orlando Magic as the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. Shaquille quickly became one of the best centers in the league, winning Rookie of the Year from 1992 to 1993 and leading his team to the 1995 NBA Finals. Following four years with the Magic, Shaquille signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. They also received three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
Amid tension between Shaquille and Kobe Bryant, Shaquille was also traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, and his fourth NBA championship followed in 2006. Midway through the 2007-2008 season, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Following a season-and-a-half with the Suns, Shaquille was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009–10 season. Shaquille also played for the Boston Celtics in the 2010-11 season before retiring.
Shaquille ranks 8th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 15th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks. He was honored in 1996 as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team. Because of his ability to dunk the basketball and score from close range, Shaquille also ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%). In 2016, Shaquille was also elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Shaquille was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017. In October 2021, Shaquille was again also honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Shaquille O’Neal Net Worth
He is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA and works as the host of The Big Podcast with Shaq. Therefore, Shaquille has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. Shaquille’s net worth is $2 million.
Is Shaquille O’Neal Married
Shaquille is now dating Nigerian-American actress Annie Ilonzeh.
How Old Is Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille is a 52-year-old who was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey, in the United States.
Who Is Shaquille O’Neal
He is an American retired professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. As of now, Shaquille works as the host of The Big Podcast with Shaq. He is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time. Shaquille is a 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and 325-pound (147 kg) center who also played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a four-time NBA champion.
Shaquille O’Neal Social Media Account
Twitter – @SHAQ