Tag: shaquille o’neal

Shaq pulled a Draymond Green and put Charles Barkley in a chokehold

Of course Shaq did this to Chuck.

In hindsight, I really should have known this was coming.

The NBA world got to see Draymond Green put Rudy Gobert in a chokehold — call it a headlock, but it’s a chokehold — which I happen to think the NBA should suspend Green for in the middle of a Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves skirmish.

So of course on Inside the NBA, this happened. Shaquille O’Neal decided to go give a hug to Kenny Smith, whose niece was getting married. But Shaq was using that as an excuse to get close to Charles Barkley, and well, you know what happened next:

Yep, that happened.

Gators basketball earns commitment from Shaquille O’Neal’s daughter

The Florida women’s basketball program earned a signing from the daughter of legendary former-NBA star Shaquille O’Neal

The Florida women’s basketball team welcomes the daughter of legendary former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal to be a part of their squad.

Four-star recruit Me’Arah O’Neal in the 2024 cycle officially signed with the University of Florida this past Sunday afternoon, putting her name on the dotted line after only visiting the campus a single time.

O’Neal said she felt instantly connected with head coach Kelly Rae Finley and the campus, solidifying her decision.

“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged,” O’Neal told ESPN. “And that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida. I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”

Her father, better known as Shaq, rose to fame playing for the LSU Tigers before being drafted in 1992 to the Orlando Magic. The NBA Hall of Famer didn’t want to influence his daughter’s decision too much, even while visiting the LSU campus.

“One of the best moments of my life, where I took her to my alma mater and they knew who she was,” O’Neal said. “But believe it or not, I tried to stay out of it. What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted. Because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want (my kids) to have their own journey, have their own experience.”

Me’Arah O’Neal is a four-star who is ranked No. 33 on the ESPNW scale. The Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats and LSU Tigers were all among the finalists before signing to Florida.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Three Boston Celtics alumni make HoopsHype’s list of top former NBAers in the media

The Boston Celtics have had no small number of former players matriculate into a media role, but who are the best at it now?

The Boston Celtics have had no small number of former players matriculate into a media role after retiring from the game, going back to Celtics Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn to Paul Pierce and Brian Scalabrine today.

And as with all things, some have done better in such a role, and others have had stronger skill sets elsewhere. But a handful have gone on to win a second fame in the broadcast booth, some even garnering cult status as media members. In today’s media landscape, there are several high-profile Boston alumni making a living on the airwaves.

The folks at HoopsHype put together a fan vote-driven ranking of the 15 best former NBAers had a trio of former Boston players; let’s see which landed where in their assessment.

Shaquille O’Neal claims he weighed over 400 pounds during Lakers’ 2002 title run

Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal says that when he won third straight NBA title in 2002, his weight was at an astronomical number.

In the early 2000s, there was no player in the NBA more dominant than Shaquille O’Neal. During that time, he was quite possibly the most dominant player ever.

During the 1999-2000 campaign, he averaged a league-high 29.7 points plus 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.0 blocked shots, earning him his one and only regular-season MVP award. Considering the NBA game was played at a snail’s pace back then, it was likely the most dominant season any human being has ever had in the history of the sport.

That season saw the Los Angeles Lakers win their first of three straight world championships. O’Neal was very motivated that season, but afterward, his motivation began to wane. It could be seen in his declining physical shape and expanding waistline.

While on SiriusXM Sports with legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady, O’Neal claimed he weighed over 400 pounds during the 2001-02 season.

Via Sports Illustrated:

“In our first championship I was 345 (pounds) and then had a great summer, came back 385 for the second one,” O’Neal said. “Last championship I was 415.”

As a measure of just dominant O’Neal was, despite weighing 415 pounds (according to him) and dealing with a painful arthritic big toe, he averaged 27.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during the 2001-02 campaign. In his final 10 playoff games that year, he put up 33.1 points and 13.5 boards per contest to help the Lakers win their third straight Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Lil Wayne snubbed Shaquille O’Neal on his Lakers Mount Rushmore

Rapper Lil Wayne momentarily put Shaquille O’Neal on his Lakers Mount Rushmore, only to replace him a few seconds later.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had so many superstars and transcendent players over the decades that at least one has to be left off certain lists of the greatest to play for the franchise.

Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are certainly on just about everyone’s Mount Rushmore of Purple and Gold greats. But the question is, who deserves that fourth spot?

Is it Shaquille O’Neal, who gave the franchise eight of his best seasons, not to mention three straight NBA championships? Or is it LeBron James, who is now in his sixth year with the team and may be able to add a second ring to his Lakers resume?

Rapper Lil Wayne momentarily put O’Neal on his Lakers Mount Rushmore, only to change his mind and include James instead.

Obviously, as one could imagine, O’Neal wasn’t happy, but it was merely a matter of Lil Wayne’s opinion and not necessarily objective fact.

Shaquille O’Neal told Nikola Jokic ‘I love you’ in Serbian in adorable Inside the NBA exchange

Shaq is back on your television, and now, he knows how to say something in Serbian to Nikola Jokic.

 

With the 2023-24 NBA season officially getting underway on Tuesday night, basketball legend and analyst Shaquille O’Neal decided to break out a little Serbian while talking to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.

During a game break for the Nuggets/Los Angeles Lakers opening-night contest, O’Neal told Jokic “Volim te!” That means “I love you!” in Serbian, which is Jokic’s native language.

Jokic seemed genuinely touched with Shaq’s telling him that message in Serbian, and he replied with the same response, just in English.

It’s just so nice to have Inside the NBA back, as we’re ready for yet another season of shenanigans from O’Neal and the crew.

That’s pretty cool. Hey, if you’re O’Neal, maybe you’ll expand your understanding of the Serbian language to greet Jokic with a new phrase or two the next time you talk.

If we start seeing Shaq pop up in Duolingo commercials, we’ll know which language he’s been studying up on for his broadcast work.

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Shaquille O’Neal: The Dallas Mavericks will win the 2024 NBA championship

Should fans, especially Lakers fans, take Shaquille O’Neal’s claim that the Mavericks will win the NBA championship seriously?

In his eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal made an unmistakable impact on the franchise. He resurrected it upon his arrival in 1996 after it had been dormant for several years, and he teamed with Kobe Bryant to bring it three straight NBA championships in the early 2000s.

O’Neal was also arguably the biggest personality the game has ever seen. He was a one-man marketing conglomerate, and even a decade after his retirement, he remains a household name across pop culture.

This year’s Lakers seem to have a real shot at winning it all. But when asked who will take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of this season, he went with a questionable choice: the Dallas Mavericks (h/t Lakers Daily).

The Mavs didn’t even reach the play-in tournament last season despite trading for Kyrie Irving and pairing him with Luka Doncic. They have only marginally improved on paper for this season, and thus a world championship seems a long shot.

Given how much O’Neal loves to play the role of court jester, one has to wonder if he is really picking the Mavs to win the NBA title, or if he’s just looking to tickle some feathers.

Shaquille O’Neal is named Reebok’s President of Basketball

Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal will now have a prominent business and marketing role with Reebok.

During his 19-year NBA career, Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, player the game had ever seen. He helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to three straight world championships from 2000 to 2002, and his 1999-2000 MVP campaign was arguably the greatest individual season anyone has ever had in league history when taking eras and different styles of play into account.

O’Neal was also one of the biggest cultural phenomenons in sports history with his swaggering but lovable personality. He helped make Reebok a player in the basketball sneaker industry, even though it has always been well behind Nike in that category.

Even a decade after calling it quits, the Hall of Fame center is still a very visible figure, as he has gotten involved in numerous business ventures. He has now been named the President of Basketball by Reebok, as it reportedly looks to make new inroads in basketball.

Via Boardroom:

“We just want to do things differently,” O’Neal told Boardroom. “That’s what we were best known for back then and what we want to stay true to now. … A big part of my role will be leveraging my network to build bridges, connect the brand with players, and help those players develop through their partnership with Reebok.”

Interestingly, the sneaker and apparel company also named Allen Iverson as its Vice President of Basketball. Iverson’s Philadelphia 76ers took on O’Neal’s Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals, and although they lost in five games, three of those games were very competitive thanks to Iverson’s never-say-quit ethos.

How many of the NBA’s official 50 greatest in 1996 were Boston Celtics?

In 1996, the NBA released a list of its 50 greatest players up to that year to celebrate as many years of play as a league. Can you guess how many were Celtics? Better yet, who they were?

In 1996, the NBA decided to assemble a panel of 50 players, media members, and team representatives in total to select the 50 greatest players of the league’s first 50 years on the anniversary of the NBA’s first season of 1946-47.

The league again plans to assemble a similar list to honor the 75th anniversary of its foundation in 2021, but before we begin to recount which alumni of the Boston Celtics were added to the list, let’s take a look at the old one. Dominated by names once populating the championship eras of the team from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, a total of 14 of the NBA’s 50 greatest players once donned the green and white.

Let’s review who made the cut, and when they were Celtics.

Shaquille O’Neal wants to own an NBA team in Las Vegas

Former Lakers superstar Shaquille O’Neal wants to bring an NBA expansion franchise to Sin City.

Although the NBA hasn’t made any official announcement, many believe it  looks to add at least one expansion team as soon as 2025. The city most often mentioned as a candidate for such an expansion team is Las Vegas.

It would seem to be a viable market for an NBA team. The area hosted an NBA All-Star Game in 2007, and it is on the rise as far as pro sports. The Las Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL began play there during the 2017-18 season and won the Stanley Cup last season. The Las Vegas Raiders moved there in 2020, and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces relocated to the market in 2018. In addition, the Oakland Athletics are expected to begin play in the market later this decade.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has expressed his interest in becoming an owner of an NBA team there. But former Lakers superstar Shaquille O’Neal also wants a shot at doing so (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Messenger:

“I would like to have my own group. I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that. I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself.

“… I’ve been living in Las Vegas for over 20 years. I love it here. Las Vegas has always been a city you knew was going to grow. You could see different casinos, different real estate projects and different night clubs popping up. I’ve always been a part of it. I used to own one of the hottest night clubs, sold it and now I got 9-10 restaurants here. I’m doing very, very well and I want to continue to grow with Vegas.”

Since retiring from the NBA in 2011, O’Neal has been involved in numerous business ventures. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he is worth about $400 million, so his desire to own a team by himself may not be realistic.