Black history moment: Lets take the time out to wish former NBA great, current TNT analyst, and future basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille ONeal a happy birthday today! Shaquille Rashaun ONeal (born 03/06/1972) was born in Newark, New Jersey. He remains estranged from his biological father, Joseph Toney of Newark. Toney, who was once an All-State guard in high school who was offered a basketball scholarship to play at Seton Hall, struggled with drug addiction and was, by 1973, imprisoned for drug possession when ONeal was an infant. Upon his release, Toney did not resume a place in ONeals life and instead, agreed to relinquish his parental visitation rights to ONeals stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison, a career Army Reserve sergeant, and his mother, Lucille (née ONeal). ONeal and Toney have never spoken, and ONeal has expressed no interest in establishing a relationship. On his 1994 rap album, Shaq Fu: The Return, ONeal voiced his feelings of disdain for Toney in the song Biological Didnt Bother, dismissing him with the line Phil is my father. ONeal credits the Boys and Girls Club of America in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, with giving him a safe place to play and keeping him off the streets. It gave me something to do, he said. Id just go there to shoot. I didnt even play on a team. He led his Robert G. Cole High School team, from San Antonio, Texas, to a 68–1 record during his two years there and helped the team win the state championship during his senior year. His 791 rebounds during the 1989 season remains a state record for a player in any classification. On January 31, 2012, O’Neal was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonalds All-Americans. After graduating from high school, ONeal studied business at Louisiana State University. He had first met Dale Brown, LSUs mens basketball coach, years earlier in Europe. ONeals stepfather was stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany. While playing for Brown at LSU, ONeal was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC player of the year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA mens basketball player of the year in 1991. ONeal left LSU early to pursue his NBA career, but continued his education even after becoming a professional player. He was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame. The Orlando Magic drafted ONeal with the 1st overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. During that summer, prior to moving to Orlando, he spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson [citation needed] . During his rookie season, ONeal averaged 23.4 points on 56.2% shooting, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game for the season. He was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year and became the first rookie to be voted an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985. The Magic finished 41–41, winning 20 more games than the previous season; however, the team ultimately missed the playoffs by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Indiana Pacers. On more than one occasion during the year, Sports Illustrated writer Jack McCallum overheard ONeal saying, Weve got to get head coach Matty Guokas out of here and bring in assistant Brian Hill. In ONeals second season, Hill was the coach and Guokas was reassigned to the front office. ONeal improved his scoring average to 29.4 points (second in the league to David Robinson) while leading the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%. On November 20, 1993, against the New Jersey Nets, ONeal registered the first triple-double of his career, recording 24 points to go along with career highs of 28 rebounds and 15 blocks. He was voted into the All-Star game and also made the All-NBA 3rd Team. Teamed with newly drafted Anfernee Penny Hardaway, the Magic finished with a record of 50–32 and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In his first playoff series, ONeal averaged 20.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in a losing effort as the Magic lost every game to the Indiana Pacers. While at LSU, ONeal was considered for the Dream Team to fill the college spot, but it eventually went to future teammate Christian Laettner. His international career began in the 1994 FIBA World Championship in which he was named MVP of the Tournament. While he led Dream Team II to the gold medal with an 8–0 record, ONeal averaged 18 points and 8.5 rebounds and recorded two double-doubles. In four games, he scored more than 20 points. Before 2010, he was the last active American player to have a gold from the FIBA World Championships. In his third season, ONeals 29.3 point average led the NBA in scoring. He finished second in MVP voting to David Robinson and was voted into his third straight All-Star Game along with Hardaway. They formed one of the leagues top duos and helped Orlando to a 57–25 record and the Atlantic Division crown. The Magic won their first ever playoff series against the Boston Celtics in the 1995 NBA Playoffs. They then defeated the Chicago Bulls in the conference semi-finals. After beating Reggie Millers Indiana Pacers, the Magic reached the NBA Finals, facing the defending NBA champion Houston Rockets. ONeal played well in his first Finals appearance, averaging 28 points on 59.5% shooting, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Despite this, the Rockets, led by future Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, swept the series in four games. ONeal was injured for a great deal of the 1995–96 season, missing 28 games. He averaged 26.6 points and 11 rebounds per game, made the All-NBA 3rd Team, and played in his 4th All-Star Game. Despite ONeals injuries, the Magic finished with a regular season record of 60–22, second in the Eastern conference to the Chicago Bulls, who finished with an NBA record 72 wins. Orlando easily defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds of the 1996 NBA Playoffs; however, they were no match for Jordans Bulls, who swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals. ONeal became a free agent after the 95–96 NBA season. In the summer of 1996, ONeal was named to the United States Olympic basketball team, and was later part of the gold medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Due to more star-power, he rotated with Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson and started three games. He averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 points with eight total blocks. Again, a perfect 8–0 record landed him another gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. While the Olympic basketball team was training in Orlando, the Orlando Sentinel published a poll that asked whether the Magic should fire Hill if that were one of ONeals conditions for returning. 82% answered no. ONeal had a power struggle while playing under Hill. He said the team just didnt respect Hill. Another question in the poll asked, Is Shaq worth $115 million? in reference to the amount of the Magics offer. 91.3% of the response was no. ONeals Olympic teammates rode him hard over the poll. He was also upset that the Orlando media implied ONeal was not a good role model for having a child with his longtime girlfriend with no immediate plans to marry. ONeal compared his lack of privacy in Orlando to feeling like a big fish in a dried-up pond. ONeal also learned that Hardaway considered himself the leader of the Magic and did not want ONeal making more money than him. On the teams first full day at the Olympics in Atlanta, it was announced that ONeal would join the Los Angeles Lakers on a seven-year, $121 million contract. He insisted he did not choose Los Angeles for the money. Im tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money, ONeal said after the signing. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok, he added, referring to a couple of his product endorsements. The Lakers won 56 games during the 1996–97 season. ONeal averaged 26.2 points and 12.5 rebounds in his first season with Los Angeles; however, he again missed over 30 games due to injury. The Lakers made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the second round by the Utah Jazz in five games. On December 17, 1996, ONeal shoved Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls; Rodmans teammates Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan restrained Rodman and prevented further conflict. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that ONeal was willing to be suspended for fighting Rodman, and ONeal said: Its one thing to talk tough and one thing to be tough. The following season, ONeal averaged 28.3 points and 11.4 rebounds. He also led the league with a 58.4 field goal percentage, the first of five consecutive seasons in which he did so. The Lakers finished the season 61–21, first in the Pacific Division, and were the second seed in the western conference during the 1998 NBA Playoffs. After defeating the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics in the first two rounds, the Lakers again fell to the Jazz, this time in a 4–0 sweep. With the tandem of ONeal and teenage superstar Kobe Bryant, expectations for the Lakers increased. However, personnel changes were a source of instability during the 1998–99 season. Long-time Laker point guard Nick Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets; his former backcourt partner Eddie Jones was packaged with back-up center Elden Campbell for Glen Rice to satisfy a demand by ONeal for a shooter. Coach Del Harris was fired, and former Lakers forward Kurt Rambis finished the season as head coach. The Lakers finished with a 31–19 record during the lockout-shortened season. Although they made the playoffs, they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Spurs would go on to win their first NBA title that year. In 1999, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as head coach, and the teams fortunes soon changed. Jackson immediately challenged ONeal, telling him the NBAs MVP trophy should be named after him when he retired. Using Jacksons triangle offense, ONeal and Bryant enjoyed tremendous success, leading the Lakers to three consecutive titles (2000, 2001, and 2002). ONeal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and had the highest scoring average for a center in NBA Finals history. In the November 10, 1999, game against the Houston Rockets, ONeal and Charles Barkley were ejected. After ONeal blocked a layup by Barkley, ONeal shoved Barkley, who then threw the ball at ONeal. ONeal was also voted the 1999–2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Fred Hickman, then of CNN, instead chose Allen Iverson, then of the Philadelphia 76ers who would go on to win MVP the next season. ONeal also won the scoring title while finishing second in rebounds and third in blocked shots. Jacksons influence resulted in a newfound commitment by ONeal to defense, resulting in his first All-Defensive Team selection (second-team) in 2000. In the 2001 NBA Finals against the 76ers, ONeal fouled out in Game 3 backing over Dikembe Mutombo, the 2000–2001 Defensive Player of the Year. I didnt think the best defensive player in the game would be flopping like that. Its a shame that the referees buy into that, ONeal said. I wish hed stand up and play me like a man instead of flopping and crying every time I back him down. Although he fouled out, the Lakers still won that game 96-91. Eventually, they would finish them off en route to their second consecutive championship. In the summer of 2001, holding a basketball camp on the campus of Louisiana State University, ONeal was challenged to a friendly wrestling match by future LSU and NBA player Glen Big Baby Davis, then 15 years of age and attending high school. ONeal, weighing 350 lb (160 kg; 25 st), was impressed by the youngster, who lifted and body-slammed him to the ground. A month before the 2001–02 seasons training camp, ONeal had corrective surgery for a claw toe deformity in the smallest toe of his left foot. He opted against a more involved surgery to return quicker. He was ready for the start of the regular season, but the toe frequently bothered him. In January 2002, he was involved in a spectacular on-court brawl in a game against the Chicago Bulls. He punched center Brad Miller after an intentional foul to prevent a basket, resulting in a melee with Miller, forward Charles Oakley, and several other players. ONeal was suspended for three games without pay and fined $15,000. For the season, ONeal averaged 27.2 points and 10.7 rebounds, excellent statistics but below his career average; he was less of a defensive force during the season. Matched up against the Sacramento Kings in the 2002 Western Conference finals, ONeal said, There is only one way to beat us. It starts with c and ends with t. ONeal meant cheat in reference to the alleged flopping of Kings center Vlade Divac. ONeal referred to Divac as she, and said he would never exaggerate contact to draw a foul. Im a guy with no talent who has gotten this way with hard work. After the season, ONeal told friends that he did not want another season of limping and being in virtually constant pain from his big right toe. His trademark mobility and explosion had been often absent. The corrective options ranged from reconstructive surgery on the toe to rehabilitation exercises with more shoe inserts and anti-inflammation medication. ONeal was already wary of the long-term damage his frequent consumption of these medications might have. He did not want to rush a decision with his career potentially at risk. ONeal missed the first 12 games of the 2002–2003 season recovering from toe surgery. He was sidelined with hallux rigidus, a degenerative arthritis in his toe. He waited the whole summer until just before training camp for the surgery and explained, I got hurt on company time, so I’ll heal on company time. ONeal debated whether to have a more invasive surgery that would have kept him out an additional three months, but he opted against the more involved procedure. The Lakers started the season with a record of 11–19. After the Lakers fell to the fifth seed and failed to reach the Finals in 2003, the team made a concerted off-season effort to improve its roster. They sought the free-agent services of forward Karl Malone and aging guard Gary Payton, but due to salary cap restrictions, could not offer either one nearly as much money as they could have made with some other teams. ONeal assisted in the recruitment efforts and personally persuaded both men to join the squad. Ultimately, both signed, each forgoing larger salaries in favor of a chance to win an NBA championship, which neither had accomplished in his career (and which neither would achieve with the Lakers although Gary Payton did win a championship alongside with Shaq with the Miami Heat in 2006). At the beginning of the 2003–04 season, ONeal wanted a contract extension with a pay raise on his remaining three years for $30 million. The Lakers had hoped ONeal would take less money due to his age, physical conditioning, and games missed due to injuries. During a preseason game, ONeal had yelled at Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Pay me. There had been increasing tension between ONeal and Bryant, the feud climaxing on the eve of training camp in 2003 when Kobe, in an interview with ESPN journalist Jim Gray, criticized Shaq for being out of shape, a poor leader, and putting his salary demands over the best interest of the Lakers. The Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter said, Shaq defeated himself against Detroit. He played way too passively. He had one big game ... Hes always interested in being a scorer, but he hasnt had nearly enough concentration on defense and rebounding. After the series, ONeal was angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding ONeals future with the club, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson at the request of Buss. ONeal made comments indicating that he felt the teams decisions were centered on a desire to appease Bryant to the exclusion of all other concerns, and ONeal promptly demanded a trade. Kupchak wanted the Dallas Maverickss Dirk Nowitzki in return but Cuban refused to let his 7-footer go. However, Miami showed interest and eventually the two clubs agreed. Winter said, ONeal left because he couldnt get what he wanted—a huge pay raise. There was no way ownership could give him what he wanted. Shaqs demands held the franchise hostage, and the way he went about it didnt please the owner too much. On July 14, 2004, ONeal was traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a future first-round draft choice. ONeal reverted from his Lakers jersey number 34 to number 32, which he had worn while playing for the Magic. Upon signing with the Heat, ONeal promised the fans that he would bring a championship to Miami. He claimed that one of the main reasons for wanting to be traded to Miami was because of their up-and-coming star, Dwyane Wade. With ONeal on board, the new-look Heat surpassed expectations, claiming the best record in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 22.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg, made his 12th consecutive All-Star Team, and made the All-NBA 1st Team. Despite being hobbled by a deep thigh bruise, ONeal led the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, losing by a narrow margin. Afterwards, ONeal and others criticized Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy for not calling enough plays for ONeal. ONeal also narrowly lost the 2004–05 MVP Award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in one of the closest votes in NBA history. In August 2005, ONeal signed a five-year-extension with the Heat for $100 million. Supporters applauded ONeals willingness to take what amounted to a pay cut and the Heats decision to secure ONeals services for the long term. They contended that ONeal was worth more than $20 million per year, particularly given that lesser players earned almost the same amount. In the second game of the 2005–06 season, ONeal injured his right ankle and subsequently missed the following 18 games. Upon ONeals return, Van Gundy resigned, citing family reasons, and Pat Riley assumed head coach responsibilities. Many critics stated that Heat coach Riley correctly managed ONeal during the rest of the season, limiting his minutes to a career low. Riley felt doing so would allow ONeal to be healthier and fresher come playoff time. Although ONeal averaged career lows (or near-lows) in points, rebounds, and blocks, he said in an interview Stats dont matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score zero points and we win Im happy. If I score 50, 60 points, break the records, and we lose, Im pissed off. Cause I knew I did something wrong. Ill have a hell of a season if I win the championship and average 20 points a game. During the 2005–06 season, the Heat recorded only a .500 record without ONeal in the line-up. On April 11, 2006, ONeal recorded his second career triple-double against the Toronto Raptors with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career high 10 assists. ONeal finished the season as the league leader in field goal percentage. In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Miami Heat won their first NBA Championship. Led by both ONeal and eventual Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, the 2nd seeded Heat defeated the defending Eastern Conference Champion and top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a rematch of the 2005 Conference Finals. They then defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. ONeal put up considerably lower numbers compared to those he recorded during the 2005–06 regular season, but he twice delivered dominant games in order to close out a playoff series: a 30 point, 20 rebound effort in Game 6 against the Chicago Bulls in the first round, and a 28 point, 16 rebound, five block effort in Game 6 against the Pistons. It was ONeals fourth title in seven seasons, and fulfilled his promise of delivering an NBA championship to Miami. In the 2006–07 season, ONeal missed the next 35 games after an injury to his left knee in November required surgery. After one of those missed games, a Christmas Day match-up against the Lakers, he ripped Jackson, who ONeal had once called a second father, referring to his former coach as Benedict Arnold. Jackson had previously said, The only person Ive ever coached that hasnt been a worker ... is probably Shaq. The Heat struggled during ONeals absence, but with his return won seven of their next eight games. Bad luck still haunted the squad, however, as Wade dislocated his left shoulder, leaving ONeal as the focus of the team. Critics doubted that ONeal, now in his mid-thirties, could carry the team into the playoffs. The Heat went on a winning streak that kept them in the race for a playoff spot, which they finally secured against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 5. In a rematch of the year before, the Heat faced the Bulls in the first round. The Heat struggled against the Bulls and although ONeal put up reasonable numbers, he was not able to dominate the series. The Bulls swept the Heat, the first time in 50 years a defending NBA champion was swept in the opening round. It was the first time in 13 years that ONeal did not advance into the second round. In the 2006–07 season ONeal reached 25,000 career points, becoming the 14th player in NBA history to accomplish that milestone. However, it was the first season in ONeals career that his scoring average dropped below 20 points per game. ONeal experienced a rough start for the 2007–08 season, averaging career lows in points, rebounds and blocks. His role in the offense diminished, as he attempted only 10 field goals per game, versus his career average of 17. In addition, ONeal was plagued by fouls, and during one stretch fouled out of five consecutive games. ONeals streak of 14 straight All-Star appearances ended that season. ONeal again missed games due to injuries, and the Heat had a 15–game losing streak. According to ONeal, Riley thought he was faking the injury. During a practice in February 2008, ONeal got into an altercation with Riley over the coach ordering a tardy Jason Williams to leave practice. The two argued face-to-face, with ONeal poking Riley in the chest and Riley slapping his finger away. Riley soon after decided to trade ONeal. ONeal said his relationship with Wade was not all that good by the time he left Miami, but he did not express disappointment at Wade for failing to stand up for him. The Phoenix Suns acquired ONeal from the league-worst, 9–37 Heat, in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. ONeal made his Suns debut on February 20, 2008 against his former Lakers team, scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the process. The Lakers won, 130–124. ONeal was upbeat in a post-game press conference, stating: I will take the blame for this loss because I wasnt in tune with the guys ... But give me four or five days to really get in tune and Ill get it. In 28 regular-season games, ONeal averaged 12.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, good enough to make the playoffs. One of the reasons for the trade was to limit Tim Duncan in the event of a postseason matchup between the Suns and the San Antonio Spurs, especially after the Suns six-game elimination by the Spurs in the 2007 NBA Playoffs. ONeal and the Phoenix Suns did face the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, but they were once again eliminated, in five games. ONeal averaged 15.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. ONeal preferred his new situation with the Suns over the Heat. I love playing for this coach and I love playing with these guys, ONeal said. We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. Im actually on a team again. Riley felt ONeal was wrong for maligning his former teammates. ONeal responded with an expletive toward Riley, who he often referred to as the great Pat Riley while playing for the Heat. ONeal credited the Suns training staff with prolonging his career. They connected his arthritic toe, which would not bend, to the alteration of his jump that consequently was straining his leg. The trainers had him concentrate on building his core strength, flexibility, and balance. The 2008–09 season improved for ONeal, who averaged 18 pts, nine rebounds, and 1.6 blocks through the first half (41 games) of the season, leading the Suns to a 23–18 record and 2nd place in their division. He returned to the All-Star Game in 2009 and emerged as co-MVP along with ex-teammate Kobe Bryant. On February 27, 2009, ONeal scored 45 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, his 49th career 40-point game, beating the Toronto Raptors 133–113. In a matchup against Orlando on March 3, 2009, ONeal was outscored by Magic center Dwight Howard, 21–19. Im really too old to be trying to outscore 18-year-olds, ONeal said, referring to the then 23-year-old Howard. Its not really my role anymore. ONeal was double-teamed most of the night. I like to play people one-on-one. My whole career I had to play people one-on-one. Never once had to double or ask for a double. But its cool, said ONeal. During the game, ONeal flopped against Howard. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who had coached ONeal with the Heat, was very disappointed cause ONeal knows what its like. Lets stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight. ONeal responded, Flopping is playing like that your whole career. I was trying to take the charge, trying to get a call. It probably was a flop, but flopping is the wrong use of words. Flopping would describe his coaching. Mark Madsen, a Lakers teammate of ONeals for three years, found it amusing since everyone in the league tries to flop on Shaq and Shaq never flops back. In a 2006 interview in TIME, ONeal said if he were NBA commissioner, he would Make a guy have to beat a guy—not flop and get calls and be nice to the referees and kiss ass. On March 6, ONeal talked about the upcoming game against the Rockets and Yao Ming. “It’s not going to be man-on-man, so don’t even try that,” says O’Neal with an incredulous laugh. “They’re going to double and triple me like everybody else ... I rarely get to play Yao one-on-one ... But when I play him on defense, it’s just going to be me down there. So don’t try to make it a Yao versus Shaq thing, when it’s Shaq versus four other guys. The 2009 NBA Playoffs was also the first time since ONeals rookie season in 1992–93 that he did not participate in the playoffs. He was named as a member of the All-NBA Third Team. The Suns notified ONeal he might be traded to cut costs. On June 25, 2009, ONeal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, $500,000 and a 2010 second round draft pick. Upon arriving in Cleveland, ONeal said, My motto is very simple: Win a Ring for the King, referring to LeBron James. James was the leader of the team, and ONeal deferred to him. On Friday, February 25, 2010 ONeal suffered a severe right thumb injury while attempting to go up for a shot against Glen Davis of the Boston Celtics. He had surgery on the thumb on March 1 and returned to play on April 17 in the first round playoff game against the Chicago Bulls. ONeal averaged career lows in almost every major statistical category, taking on a much less significant role than in previous years. His presence in the post was not as significant as in years past. After the retirement of Lindsey Hunter on March 5, ONeal became the NBA’s oldest active player. He returned to the starting line-up in time for the 2010 NBA Playoffs. The Cavaliers swiftly defeated the Chicago Bulls in the first round, yet Cleveland became the first team in NBA history to miss the NBA Finals after laying claim to the NBAs top playoff seed for two consecutive seasons. On May 13, the Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs, losing to the Boston Celtics 4–2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Upon hearing Bryant comment that he had more rings than ONeal, Wyc Grousbeck, principal owner of the Celtics, saw an opportunity to acquire ONeal. Celtics coach Doc Rivers agreed to the signing on the condition that ONeal would not receive preferential treatment nor could he cause any locker room problems like in Los Angeles or Miami. On August 4, 2010, the Celtics announced that they had signed ONeal. The contract was for two years at the veteran minimum salary for a total contract value of $2.8 million. ONeal wanted the larger mid-level exception contract, but the Celtics chose instead to give it to Jermaine ONeal. The Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks also expressed interest but had stalled on ONeals salary demands. He was introduced by the Celtics on August 10, 2010, and chose the number 36. ONeal said he didnt compete with little guys who run around dominating the ball, throwing up 30 shots a night—like D–Wade, Kobe. ONeal added that he was only competing against Duncan: If Tim Duncan gets five rings, then that gives some writer the chance to say Duncan is the best, and I cant have that. Publicly, he insisted he did not care whether he started or substituted for the Celtics, but expected to be part of the second unit. Privately, he wanted to start, but kept it to himself. ONeal missed games throughout the season due to an assortment of ailments to his right leg including knee, calf, hip, and Achilles injuries. The Celtics traded away center Kendrick Perkins in February partially due to the expectation that ONeal would return to fill Perkins role. The Celtics were 33–10 in games Perkins had missed during the year due to injury, and they were 19–3 in games that ONeal played over 20 minutes. After requesting a cortisone shot, ONeal returned April 3 after missing 27 games due to his Achilles; he played only five minutes due to a strained right calf. It was the last regular season game he would play that year. ONeal missed the first round of the 2011 playoffs. He insisted on more cortisone shots and returned in the second round, but he was limited to 12 minutes in two games as the Heat eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs. On June 1, 2011, ONeal announced his retirement via social media. On a short tape on Twitter, O’Neal tweeted, “We did it. 19 years, baby. I want to thank you very much. That’s why I’m telling you first. I’m about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon.” On June 3, 2011, ONeal held a press conference at his home in Orlando to officially announce his retirement. During his career beginning in 1993, ONeal began to compose rap music. He released five studio albums and one compilation album. Although his rapping abilities were criticized at the outset, one critic credited him with progressing as a rapper in small steps, not leaps and bounds. His 1993 debut album, Shaq Diesel, received platinum certification from the RIAA. Two singles from the album also managed to fare well on the charts, (I Know I Got) Skillz, made it to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and managed to reach gold status on December 21, 1993 for shipping of 500,000 copies, while Im Outstanding made it to #47 on the Hot 100. That was my favorite song off that album. A third single entitled Shoot Pass Slam was also released, but did not make it to the Billboard charts. However, it did appear as the featured video on the Jam Session segment on NBA Inside Stuff. ONeal was featured alongside Michael Jackson as a guest rapper on 2 Bad, a song from Jacksons 1995 album HIStory. His second studio album, Shaq Fu: The Return, was released on November 8, 1994 for Jive Records and featured production from Redman, Erick Sermon, Def Jef and Warren G. The album was not as successful as his previous album, but it still found decent success, peaking at #67 on the Billboard 200 and #19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It also spawned two singles, Biological Didnt Bother (which discusses Shaqs estrangement from his biological father, with whom he has expressed no desire for reconciliation) and No Hook which featured Wu-Tang Clan members, Method Man and RZA. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. The kanji 風 —meaning wind—is used on the cover, which can be pronounced as fu in Japanese. It has no relation to the fu (夫) in kung fu (功夫) of which the album references its name. His third album, You Cant Stop the Reign, was released on November 19, 1996 for Interscope Records and featured production from the likes of DJ Quik, Poke and Tone, Mobb Deep and Easy Mo Bee. The album was moderately successful, making it to #82 on the Billboard 200 and #21 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Two singles were released, You Cant Stop the Reign and Strait Playin. The Notorious B.I.G.s verse from You Cant Stop the Reign was reused in Michael Jacksons song Unbreakable, from his last studio album Invincible. His fourth studio album, Respect, was released on September 15, 1998 for A&M Records and featured production from Clark Kent and DJ Quik. Although Respect peaked at #58 on the Billboard 200, it made #8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - ONeils highest-charting long player on that chart. The album had 19 tracks, that Vibe said all straddle the line between mediocre and unlistenable. The album sold 104,000 units. Shaquille ONeal Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1, Shaqs fifth studio album, was completed in 2001. Unfortunately, it wad never released. Producers for the album included Denaun Porter, Big Tank, L.T. Hutton, Rick Rock, and Dr. Dre. The original release date was slated for September 11, 2001, but was pushed back to October 9 of the same year. After much delay, the album was abandoned completely and never released. He also has appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows, Shaqs Big Challenge and Shaq Vs.. Happy birthday once again, Shaq! Today is his 42nd birthday!
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 15:30:09 +0000
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