'''Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), or Shaq''' when he is popularly known, is called one of a National Basketball Association's most dominant basketball players. O'Neal foremost played for the Orlando Magic, later signed by owning a Los Angeles Lakers, and today plays for the Miami Heat. At Sevener foot Unity within (Deuce.Sixteen m), 340 pounds (154 kg) & U.S. shoe size 22, he is famous for his physical stature. He has many nicknames, virtually all of which he conferred upon himself, like "the Diesel", "the Big Aristotle", and "Superman."

Childhood
O'Neal was known as "Shaquille Rashaun" ("Little Warrior" in Arabic) by his biological father, Joseph Toney. Even so, he is non more or less his biological father; one of his songs, "Biological Didn't Bother", explains his feelings.

His mother, Lucille O'Neal Harrison, would marry U.S. Army sergeant Phillip Harrison (whom Shaq considers his father figure) shortly after Shaquille's birth. Shaq spent occasionally of his childhood in Germany in Wildflecken, Bavaria, where his stepfather Harrison was stationed by using the U.S. Army. It was there that he learned to play basketball.

O'Neal fractured both of his wrists while climbing between two trees, trying to imitate Spider-Man, his comic strip favorite, and every now and again explains that this is how come he makes to a lesser degree half of his free throws.

Basketball career

Louisiana State University
He number 1 gained national attention as a star at Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas. He became High School Streaming video player of the Month when you took his swimming years there. As a young human, he attended Louisiana State University to study & graduate sustaining the bachelor degree within business. When you took LSU's five, he was a both-period number one team Completely-Western, both-period Southeastern Conference streaming video streaming video player of the month, & the national player of the month inside 1991.

Dale Black, LSU's coach at that period, states that he number one met Shaq when he was camping Germany, & mistook a so-13 month old for one of a soldiers.

Orlando Magic

He was a number 1 streaming video player selected overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and helped a team to the praiseworthily 41 wins that season, missing the playoffs by one game. He farther raised his fame that seasin using 2 ill-famed dunk shot which broke a supports holding a basket & backboard, two on national television: a foremost coming against a Phoenix Suns, a 2nd against the New Jersey Nets.

In the 1993-94 season, Shaq helped the Magic to their number 1 playoff berth ever.

Around 1994-1995, O'Neal and Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway helped their team reach a NBA Finals, however were swept within foursome games per Houston Rockets.

Los Angeles Lakers
When a 1995-1996 year, O'Neal left Orlando to join a Los Angeles Lakers for an unprecedented seven season $120 million contract. He & mate Kobe Bryant created one of the virtually all effectual guard-center combinations within NBthe history, although their relationship was a tenous one & them feuded by owning both more oft publically and buck private.

Irrespective, them (coached by Phil Jackson) enjoyed tremendous profits on the court, when O'Neal & Bryant led a Los Angeles Lakers to ternion sequentially NBA titles (2000, 2001, 2002). Shaq was known as MVP of the NBA Finals a lot 3 days & has the greatest scoring typical for a center around Finals history. He was too voted a 1999-2000 regular year Virtually all Valuable Streaming video player, most becoming a foremost unanimous MVP around NBA history.

At a beginning of the 2003-04 year, O'Neal announced he sought an extension to his contract. Laker management, yet, was hesitant to meet his demands. A Lakers offered O'Neal a contract within February 2004 (based on data from the book ''Madmen's Ball'' by Mark Heisler) to remain the highest-paid player in the league but O'Neal refused.

Fallowing a Lakers were defeated per Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, O'Neal was angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding his future using the club, & promptly demanded a trade. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and Caron Butler.

Miami Heat
In July 14 2004, Shaq was officially traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a number one-spherical draft pick. A trade was immediately considered 1 of a first around sports history, by using analysts uncertain that one human may replenish and then several of Miami's key players. Nevertheless, Shaq's future-look Heat surpassed a lot expectations, well claiming a better record in the Eastern Conference. People he was traded for failing to possibly lead a Lakers to the playoffs. Numerous learned person likened a Lakers trade of Shaq to the Boston Red Sox trade of Babe Ruth, referring to their disconsolate ensuing year when "The Curse of the Shaq-bino". He narrowly misused a 2004-2005 MVP award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash within one of the nighest votes in history. Despite existence hobbled by a deep thigh contusion, Shaq lead the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals & a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons & misused just narrowly.

Around August 2005, O'Neal signed an 5-month-extension sustaining a Heat for 100 million dollars. Wherewhen critics denounced this extension as overpaying an ageing streaming video streaming video player, supporters laud a Heat staff for landing probably a virtually all dominant player in the NBA for "only" $20 million the year, around a time in which mediocre or even constantly wounded players rather Keith Van Horn, Jalen Rose, Derek Anderson, Allan Houston or Brian Grant earn almost a equivalent total.

By signing this contract, O'Neal contradicted his earliest comment of him never ingesting the pay cut in the interests of the team. He would own received $30 million this year however took a pay cut of $10 million a year to help the HEAT produce trades for better players.

Accolades
O'Neal has been selected to the All-Star Game every year since his rookie year within 1993 (except for the 1999 lockout season, in which a game was non held). He has received Completely-NBA-Defensive honors within 2000, 2001 & 2003, though he has never been a number one-team choice. O'Neal was the key member of the 1994 World Championship and 1996 Olympic basketball team, which won gold. He hwhen been selected per NBA as one of a "50 Greatest Basketballers" around 1996. He was a immature member of this listing. In 2005, O'Neal became a 1st streaming video player around NBA history to typical all over Xx points & X rebounds by the game for Thirteen seasons. O'Neal has earned Tons-NBA-Team honors around Eleven of his Xiii seasons. He likewise was awarded a MVP in the 1999-00 year & in the 2003-04 A lot-Star game. O'Neal has the business degree from either LSU. At LSU there is a lodge known as a "Shaquille O'Neal Lodge," which is a portion of the Cook Conference Center. On June 25, 2005 O'Neal earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix.

O'Neal was stratified #9 within SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time around 2003.

Strengths and weaknesses
O'Neal occurs as physically exceptional streaming video player. His Seven'Single"/320-lb frame gives him enormous power, and for a man of that size, he is quick and very explosive. His "drop step," in which he posts up a defender, turns around and powers past him for a slam dunk, has proven virtually unstoppable. In addition, he is a talented and stylish passer, and an effective defender. His dominating physical presence inside the paint has caused dramatic changes in many teams' offensive and defensive strategies that can be seen over the course of his career.

On the other hand, O'Neal is one of the worst free-throw shooters in the NBA. His lifetime average is an abysmally low 53.1%. In hope of exploiting Shaq's poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls on Shaq, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq"; this technique was invented and coined by former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson. In perspective, abysmal free-throw shooting is common among NBA big-men, and is a trait shared by other greats such as Wilt Chamberlain. Also, Shaq's free-throw average in the last two minutes of the game is better than his overall average.

His other weakness is his weight. O'Neal usually shows up to training camp overweight. During his last few years with the Lakers he weighed around 350 lb (160 kg). When O'Neal was overweight he was prone to many injuries, especially on his big right toe.

Many feel that Shaq's star power in the NBA causes referees to turn a blind eye to some of his minor rule infractions. Many claim that his awkward shooting stance and general forward motion cause him to violate Rule 10, Section I-d, a rarely-enforced rule stating that the shooter cannot cross the plane of the free throw line until the ball has touched the basket ring or backboard. On the other hand, O'Neal's defenders claim that because of his enormous size, officials allow him to take more physical abuse than other players.

For several years, O'Neal has suffered from arthritis in his right big toe, due to more than a decade of running, jumping and dunking with his 320 lb (145 kg) frame.

Media personality
Shaq is generally liked by the media for his playful tone in interviews and generally eloquent manner in comparison to other athletes. He has been called "a Large Aristotle", a name that was self-given, for his composure and insights during these interviews. Shaq's humorous and sometimes incendiary comments fueled the LA Lakers long standing rivalry with the Sacramento Kings; Shaq frequently referred to the Sacramento team as the "Queens". Shaq also received some media flak for mocking the Chinese language when interviewed about newcomer center Yao Ming, but he was able to downplay the media attention to the event.

During the 2005 NBA playoffs, Shaq lamented of his poor play due to injury as being comparable to Erick Dampier, a Dallas Mavericks center that had failed to score a single point in one of their recent games. The quip was not responded to malevolently, but inspired countless citations and references by announcers during those playoffs.

On May 24, 2005, when Brian Hill was re-announced as head coach of his former team, the Orlando Magic, Shaq was quoted as saying, "It's serious that he's back. Once I personally purchase a team [Magic] within iii years, he'll becomaine working for me." Whether or not this will raise speculation of Shaq's life after playing basketball remains to be seen. [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-sptmagicreact25052505may25,0,553128.story?coll=orl-sports-headlines]

He is very vocal with the media, and often jabs at his former Laker teammate, Kobe Bryant. In the summer of 2005, when asked about Kobe, he responded, "We'm bad, world health organization?" and went on about not being familiar with that name.

Shaq was once a spokesperson for Radio Shack. In one of its commercials, he snapped his fingers and changed the spelling to "Radio Shaq".

Shaq appeared on the Season 5 finale of ''Punk'd'', MTV's celebrity prank show.

He has also appeared in many other shows such as Saturday Night Live.

Private life
O'Neal married his long-time girlfriend, Shaunie Nelson, on December 26, 2002; they have 3 children: Shareef Rashaun, Amirah Sanaa, and Shaquir Rashaun. He also has a daughter, Taahirah, by ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh.

O'Neal, whose mother is a Baptist and step-father a Muslim, has not formally announced affiliation with a specific faith. However, he has been linked to Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam.

Police aspirations
Off court, Shaq has maintained a high level of interest in the workings of the police department, and has become personally involved in law enforcement. O'Neal went through the police academy in Los Angeles, and became a reserve officer with the L.A. Port Police. Since moving to Miami, he has begun training to become a reserve officer for the Miami Beach police, and will soon be certified to make arrests and carry a .40-caliber pistol. In March 2005 he was given an honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal title and named the spokesman for the Safe Surfin' foundation; he will serve an honorary role on the task force of the same name, which tracks down sexual predators who target children on the Internet.[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/basketball/nba/specials/playoffs/2005/05/25/shaq/index.html?cnn=yes]

Filmography
Blue Chips (1993), with teammate Anfernee Hardaway and Nick Nolte Kazaam (1996) Good Burger (1997) Steel (1997) Freddy Got Fingered (2001) TV commercials: Nestlé Crunch Chattem Icy Hot Sleeve and Icy Hot Back Patch TV shows: Shaquille (2005), reality show ESPN

Discography
Shaq Diesel (1993) Shaq Fu - Da Return (1994) ''The Best of Shaquille O'Neal (1996) You Can't Stop the Reign (1996) Respect (1998) Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1'' (2001, Unreleased)

Television and video game appearances
Shaq appeared in a coin-operated video game called NBA Jam. Shaq starred in Shaq Fu, a fighting game for the SNES and Genesis. Shaq has appeared on the MTV show Punk'd. Shaq has appeared on the animated series Static Shock, as a cameo. Shaq appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, bedridden after Larry David tripped him while stretching.