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Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal; born March 6, 1972), nicknamed Shaq, is an American retired basketball
player, former rapper and current analyst on the television program Inside the NBA.
Standing 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall and weighing 325 pounds (147 kg), he was one of the heaviest
players ever to play in the NBA. Throughout his 19-year career, O'Neal used his size and
strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds.
Following his career at Louisiana State University, O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with
the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. He quickly became one of the top centers in
the league, winning Rookie of the Year in 1992--93 and later leading 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 won three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Amid
tension between O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, O'Neal was 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. After a season-and-a-half with the Suns, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland
Cavaliers in the 2009--10 season.[2] O'Neal played for the Boston Celtics in the 2010--11
season before retiring. O'Neal's individual accolades include the
1999--2000 MVP award, the 1992--93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections,
three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA
team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players
to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other
players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 6th all-time
in points scored, 5th in field goals, 13th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks.
In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, with his first,
Shaq Diesel, going platinum. He has appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own
reality shows, Shaq's Big Challenge and Shaq Vs.