Last week, the great Shaquille O'Neal retired from professional basketball after a 19-year career. He will go down as one of the greatest players ever, and possibly the most entertaining NBA player ever. That's the special thing about Shaq, he was not defined by his play on the court, even as good as it was.
After being drafted number 1 overall in 1992 by the Orlando Magic, he became a dominating force. 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 and Michael Jordan. He ranks 5th all-time in points scored, 5th in field goals, 12th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks. But through all that, I don't think all of the accolades are what people will remember about him.
He was the ultimate entertainer. His size (7 ft 1 in, over 300 lbs, and size 23 shoes) and basketball talent allowed him to be the center of attention for most of his life. He always took those opportunities to express his opinions and to make people smile when he could. He was usually up for interviews, granting journalists and viewers entertainment through it all. He is a man of many nicknames (many of which he gave himself): Shaq, The Diesel, Shaq Fu, Superman, The Big Aristotle, The Big Cactus, The Big Shaqtus, The Big Shamrock, and The Big Conductor. He was a rapper and actor. He has also been involved in law enforcement for several years, having worked as a reserve officer in LA and Miami.
Although I am kind of sad to see him go as a player, I am excited to see what he will do next. With most retired athletes, we see less of them. I have a feeling, however, that retirement from basketball will only allow us all to be more entertained by Shaq from this point forward. So goodbye for now, but I can't wait to see what you have in store for us all in the future.
