Highlights
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972) is a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat. O'Neal is known for his size (7-foot-1, up to at least 360 pounds and a size 23 shoe), strength and physical style of play. O'Neal is considered one of the best players in the basketball history and has won four NBA championships, including three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat. The 2006-07 season is O'Neal's 16th in the NBA; he has been selected to the All-Star team each year. O'Neal was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and the Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002. In 1996, the 50th anniversary of the NBA's founding, O'Neal was nam...
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972) is a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat. O'Neal is known for his size (7-foot-1, up to at least 360 pounds and a size 23 shoe), strength and physical style of play. O'Neal is considered one of the best players in the basketball history and has won four NBA championships, including three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat. The 2006-07 season is O'Neal's 16th in the NBA; he has been selected to the All-Star team each year. O'Neal was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and the Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002. In 1996, the 50th anniversary of the NBA's founding, O'Neal was named one of the 50 greatest players in league history by a panel of former players, coaches, general managers, team executives and media. O'Neal was the youngest player among the top 50. In addition to his professional accomplishments, O'Neal is one of the most popular figures in sports, considered appealing to fans because of the likeable image he portrays despite his intimidating size. His stardom is such that he most often is referred to only by his nickname, "Shaq," and over the years has also given himself other enduring nicknames like "Diesel" and "The Big Aristotle." O'Neal's stepfather, Phillip Harrison, married his mother Lucille when Shaquille was an infant. Harrison was a member of the United States Army, so O'Neal once lived on a U.S. Army base in Wildflecken, West Germany. O'Neal graduated from Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he didn't play basketball until he was a junior. O'Neal has said he considers his birthplace of Newark, N.J. to be home. O'Neal was a two-time All-American at Louisiana State University under coach Dale Brown, who discovered O'Neal during a visit to Germany. In 1991 O'Neal earned the Adolph Rupp trophy, presented to college basketball's top player. After three seasons at LSU, O'Neal declared for the 1992 NBA Draft and was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Orlando Magic. O'Neal immediately established himself as a physical force in the post and demanded constant double teams because of his size and strength. O'Neal's presence altered the game because defenders would leave their men to help with O'Neal, leading to more open shots for O'Neal's teammates. O'Neal's physical play and ability to open the floor for his teammates have been cited as his most valuable assets over his career. O'Neal was named the league's rookie of the year after averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and shooting 56 percent from the floor for Orlando in 1992-93. The Magic improved its victory total by 20 games from the season before. O'Neal would play three additional seasons for Orlando, leading the Magic to a Finals loss to Houston in 1995, before signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. With the Lakers, O'Neal built on his reputation as a dominant player and gained more popularity while playing for one of the league's glamour franchises and for coach Phil Jackson, who had coached Michael Jordan in Chicago. But the Lakers advanced no further than the second round of the playoffs during O'Neal's first three seasons with the team. In 2000, O'Neal teamed with emerging star Kobe Bryant to win the first of three straight NBA championships. The Lakers lost to San Antonio in the second round of the 2003 playoffs before making it back to the Finals in 2004, losing to the Detroit Pistons. During this time the internal bickering between O'Neal and Bryant became public, eventually leading to a rift that prompted O'Neal to ask Lakers owner Jerry Buss for a trade. O'Neal claimed Buss rebuffed O'Neal's desire for a contract extension and sided with Bryant in their feud. In the summer of 2004 the Heat acquired O'Neal by sending Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant to Los Angeles. O'Neal teamed with young star Dwyane Wade to immediately elevate the Heat to championship contenders. O'Neal had a strong season while leading the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals, where it lost to Detroit in seven games. O'Neal played more of a supporting role to Wade the next season as the Heat beat Detroit in the East finals and went on to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. O'Neal had his least productive professional season in 2006-07. O'Neal shot 59 percent from the field but averaged career lows of 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 28.4 minutes per game. Shaq has appeared in several motion pictures including Kazaam, The Kid and I and more recently, Scary Movie 4. In 2007 he produced and starred in a television series, Shaq's Big Challenge aimed at helping kids get back into shape. This reality TV show focused on six Florida pre-teens and their battle to lose weight. In September 2007 O'Neal filed for divorce in Miami-Dade Circuit Court from Shaunie, his wife of five years. The O'Neal's, who resided on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida, have four children together. Each also has one child from previous relationships.
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K.C. Johnson's Bulls mailbag
Only seven weeks or so until the trade deadline. In the meantime, here's another batch of answers. Keep the questions coming.
K.C., in the most recent RosenBlog he "mentions" that the players have lost respect for Vinnie. Being around the team as much as...Tags: Pau Gasol, NCAA Tournament, P.J. Brown, Corey Maggette, Joakim Noah
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Heat Q&A with Ira Winderman
Sun-Sentinel.comAsk Ira! Sun-Sentinel Heat writer Ira Winderman answers YOUR questions about the team! You can read his latest comments below. To submit your question, e-mail here. Please include your name, city and state with each question. --------------------...Tags: Mike James, Jamaal Tinsley, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Golf
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Short-handed Raptors beat Wizards
The Associated PressAndrea Bargnani offered a simple secret for his success against the Washington Wizards, an explanation that applied to his Toronto teammates, too. "I never shot with a defender on me," Bargnani said. Down to nine players, the Raptors still easily beat...Tags: Brendan Haywood, Jason Kidd, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, Washington Wizards
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Granger's 3 at buzzer gives Pacers win over Suns
The Indiana Pacers are making a habit of beating the NBA's elite teams, and Danny Granger is making a habit of scoring big. Granger hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and matched his career high with 37 points in Indiana's 113-110 victory over the Phoenix...Tags: Terry Porter, Major League Baseball, Steve Nash, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers
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Dolphins Q&A with Harvey Fialkov
Sun-Sentinel.comAsk Harvey! Sun-Sentinel Dolphins writer Harvey Fialkov answers YOUR questions about the team! You can read his latest comments below. To submit your question, e-mail here. Please include your name, city and state with each question. ----------------...Tags: Mike James, Jamaal Tinsley, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Golf
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Selling Shaqs Miami property is no slam dunk
Staff WriterBasketball star Shaquille O'Neal may be the Big Aristotle, as he often calls himself, but he's not the Big Donald Trump when it comes to selling his Miami estate.Tags: Basketball
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Shaquille O'Neal misses Suns' game against Pacers because of back ailment
PHOENIX (AP) — Shaquille O'Neal missed the Phoenix Suns' game Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers because of a back injury. O'Neal, averaging 17.2 points and 9.0 rebounders, was replaced by rookie Robin Lopez in the Suns' starting lineup....Tags: Terry Porter, Phoenix Suns, Basketball, Indiana Pacers
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Winderman NBA Notes: Blazers bring power play to NBA
A weekly look at five talking points that have the league buzzing: 1. That sixth sense. How long does it take an NBA referee to count to six? Apparently longer that seven seconds. That's how long Portland had an extra player on the court before scoring...Tags: P.J. Brown, Justice System, Boston Celtics, Thabo Sefolosha, Basketball
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Mark Heisler's NBA rankings
++++++++++++++++++++ || RANKINGS, COMMENTS THROUGH SATURDAY || ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ || BIG WEST || || 1. LAKERS (26-5) || Won the last four first quarters, 118-91. Lost the four before that, 111-101. (1) || || BIG EAST || || 2....Tags: Basketball, Philadelphia 76ers, National Basketball Association, Boston Celtics
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No. 17 Buckeyes roll to 67-49 win over Spartans
AP Sports WriterAfter Ohio State won a fourth straight Big Ten title last season, coach Jim Foster took an extraordinary step. He started over. Faster, more aggressive and more athletic, the 17th-ranked Buckeyes are making Foster's makeover look like a stroke of...Tags: National Collegiate Athletic Association, Basketball, Ohio State University, Ohio State Buckeyes
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The super rich are still willing to pay big bucks for elaborate rituals or celebrations
South Florida Sun-SentinelWe know the recession drill: take "staycations," tote bag lunches and cancel premium cable TV. But what of the super affluent? Are they spending like it's 2005? Yes, and with gusto when it comes to rites of passage ceremonies, event planners say. Though...Tags: Adrian Grenier, Norton Museum of Art, Dining and Drinking, Television Industry, Bernard Madoff
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Return of Celtics and Team USA Olympic dominance define NBA in 2008
As we say goodbye to 2008 in the coming days, here is a look at the year's top NBA stories: •1. Mean Green (Celtics NBA title). At the end of the 2006-07 season, Beantown cried for Paul Pierce's departure. . But after the arrival of Kevin Garnett...Tags: Dwight Howard, New York Knicks, Paul Pierce, History, Boston Celtics
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