The NBA’s most dominant scoring center ever retired this year, but he left a mark on the league that will never be forgotten. Shaq was always just as much fun off the court as on it-his personality was larger than life and everybody knew who he was. His number 34 will forever be celebrated by fans all across the world!
How many seasons did Shaq play?
Shaq is a retired NBA player who has played for six different teams. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic as the first overall pick in 1992. Shaqs career was filled with many accomplishments, including getting voted to start in 8 All-Star games, being named to the All-NBA First Team four times, and winning 4 league championships.. He retired after 17 years of playing with the Lakers this year because he felt it was time to leave basketball behind him.
In 1994, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and won three consecutive championships from 2000-2002. In 1996, he signed with the Miami Heat but left after one season to play for his hometown team, the Sacramento Kings. After two seasons with Sacramento, he returned to Miami where he would win another championship in 2006 6. He also spent time playing for Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring in 2011.
His achievements
Shaq had an impressive 19 seasons in which he averaged over 20 points per game and led his teams to three championships. He is one of only two players in history to score more than 30,000 points and grab more than 10,000 rebounds in the NBA. Shaq has won three NBA championships, three NBA Finals MVP awards, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, and four Olympic gold medals.
Shaq also led the league in field goal percentage (58%) and blocks (506) when he retired in 2011.
He is now the official spokesman for several products including Powerade, T-Mobile, Falafel, MyPillow and more! He has been awarded the United States basketball Athlete of the Year Award twice and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Shaq’s personal life
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey. His parents were both basketball players and had a goal of having their son grow up to be a professional player as well.His father played for the Phoenix Suns and his mother played for the Washington Mystics. His father was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1973, but he chose to go to college instead. He was drafted again after playing college basketball at LSU, but again chose to play for his college team instead of joining the NBA.
He played with UCLA for three years before being drafted by Phoenix Suns in 1979. Shaq attended Patrick Ewing Jr. High School in Jamaica Queens, New York and enrolled in LSU. He is 7 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 325 pounds. Shaq married Shaunie O’Neal on August 20, 2002, and together they have four children- Shareef (born 1995), Meelah (born 1997), Shaquir (born 2000) and Amirah (born 2001). His son Shareef played on the team with him at LSU and UC Irvine.
Shaq’s personality
Shaq is known for his outlandish personality and has had many opportunities to appear on television. He is always entertaining on the show Inside The NBA, even when he’s not on the screen! From buying the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team to his own reality TV show, Shaq has made sure to be seen everywhere. His house in Beverly Hills features a game room with pool table, jukebox, giant flat screens and more-a room that would make any boy happy! He also owns a golf course in Orlando called “The Big A” which includes an 18-hole championship course that people can play until 10pm. Shaq is always energetic and funny when he gives speeches. He talks about how he grew up in tough neighborhoods in Newark, New Jersey and Memphis, Tennessee. When he was young, Shaq played basketball against older kids and earned his nickname “Big Diesel.”
Conclusion
Shaq’s impact on basketball will never be forgotten. He has fans from different generations and he will stay one of the best basketball players. Future players look up to him and his dedication to basketball.
