When it comes to basketball, Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most successful professional athletes of all time. On March 6th he celebrates his 50th birthday.
One might think that the 2.16 meters that Shaquille O’Neal (50) measures would be intimidating. But the living basketball legend is described by fans as a lovable superstar. In the best of times in the US professional league NBA, O’Neal worked for the best-known clubs, made millions as a basketball player and advertising star. Over the years he has broken records and received numerous awards. Today, Shaquille O’Neal is a sports icon. The 15-time NBA all-star, who turns 50 on March 6, even has connections to Germany, as he went to school here as a child.
He had no contact with his father
O’Neal was born Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal on March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey. His childhood was not always easy. His father, Joe Toney, was a gifted high school and college basketball player himself. But Toney went off the rails, became addicted to drugs and even went to prison when O’Neal was a toddler. After his release, he lost contact with his own son. The two then had nothing to do with each other for decades.
Toney eventually agreed to transfer custody to O’Neal’s stepfather, Jamaican soldier Phillip A. Harrison. Because Harrison was stationed in Germany as a soldier, O’Neal attended a school in the Hessian town of Fulda for a few years as a teenager. He himself said later in an interview with “Zeit Online”that the time in Germany was formative for him.
It wasn’t until 2016, three years after Harrison’s death, that Shaquille O’Neal and Joe Toney saw each other again. At the time, O’Neal said according to sports news site The Undefeated about his father: “I don’t hate you. I had a good life. I had Phil.”
He broke records at school
It was clear early on that Shaquille O’Neal could make it big as a basketball player. Not just because talent ran in the family. The young athlete was already 1.98 meters tall at the age of 13 and 2.08 meters at 16. His sports career began after moving from Germany back to the USA in 1987 at Robert G. Cole High School. Even then he became a star. He gave his team a 68-1 win, won the state championship and hit 791 rebounds in a season – the state record to this day.
After graduating from high school, he attracted attention at Louisiana State University with his athletic talent. While playing for the collegiate team Brown, he was twice named All-American player and twice named player of the year. He also received the 1991 Adolph Rupp Award, which honored the best college basketball players. He left the university early to finally concentrate on his career in the professional league NBA.
Advancement in the professional league
In 1992, O’Neal was called up to the NBA. It all started with the Orlando Magics. After just one year, he was hauling 28 rebounds and 15 blocks in the game against the acclaimed New Jersey Nets. He was one of the best players in the NBA right from the start. In 1995 he was rewarded by reaching the NBA Finals with the Orlando Magics, which the team lost.
However, one of his career highlights was a win against the Chicago Bulls in 1995, whose star was none other than Michael Jordan (59). Despite his success with the Orlando Magics, O’Neal joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. There, however, he was only able to achieve great success after four years. In just two years, O’Neal won three championships with the Lakers. He himself was voted Most Valuable Player of the Finals – an honor previously only bestowed on Michael Jordan.
After the Lakers failed in the 2004 finals, Shaquille O’Neal joined the Miami Heat. There, too, he showed his talent and won his fourth championship title. However, the following years were not very successful for the basketball star, which is why he was transferred to the Phoenix Suns in 2008. After O’Neal also changed clubs in 2009 and 2010 and injuries further weakened the athlete, he announced his retirement from the professional league in 2011.
Shaquile O’Neal: A jack of all trades
Even during his time as a basketball pro, O’Neal devoted himself to other pursuits. He was a rapper for a long time – and not just amateurish. With the German producer DJ Tomekk (46) he recorded the song “How You Like That (Ja, Ja, Ja)”. His first album “Shaquille Diesel”, which he released in 1993, even became a commercial success, reaching number 25 on the album charts and being certified platinum. Overall, the record sold over a million copies in the US alone. From 1992 to 1998 he released a total of four albums. He also worked with well-known artists such as Jay-Z (52) and The Notorious BIG (1972-1997).
And the sports professional also tried his hand at acting. In 1994 he starred in the sports film “Blue Chips” with Nick Nolte (81). For the film “Steel Man” (1997) O’Neal participated in the soundtrack with the song “Men of Steel”. The strip itself was not very successful. It cost around $16 million to produce but ultimately grossed just $1.7 million, and the basketball star won a Golden Raspberry for his starring role nominated for Worst Lead Actor. O’Neal left it in the future with smaller appearances in well-known films such as “When in Rome” (2010), “Jack and Jill” (2011) and “Child’s Heads 2” (2013).
Living legend
The ex-basketball pro is still an integral part of US television today. In 2011 he was hired as an expert for the broadcaster TNT and the NBA. Above all, however, the giant made a name for itself as an advertising face. In the USA, he advertised for years for the body care brand “Old Spice” with bizarre advertising clips that always went viral on the Internet. With that, O’Neal became an internet phenomenon and popular with the younger generation. In 2015 he took part in the roast against Justin Bieber (28) on Comedy Central. To this day, he is a welcome guest on TV shows with a comedy twist or as an expert on sports programs.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most successful basketball players in the world. In 2016, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Three years earlier he was honored by his old club, the LA Lakers, by retiring his jersey number – several clubs followed suit. The Lakers and the Miami Heat no longer assign the numbers 32 and 34.