Shaq: Man of Many Nicknames Joey Ramirez September 8, 2016 4:25 PM PDT When it comes to aliases, nobody can touch Shaquille O'Neal. Charles Barkley has been the recipient of many nicknames during his career as a basketball player and an analyst, such as Sir Charles, Chuck, and the Round Mound of Rebound. Darling also alleged that O'Neal had used law enforcement contacts to obtain restricted information on those mistresses, and that O'Neal subsequently threw his laptop into a lake to destroy possible evidence. 1 pick in the NBA draft. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. As part of the show, O'Neal got into a physical altercation with seven-foot-tall wrestler Big Show. [36][37] 82% answered "no". The Diesel -- O'Neal released the rap album Shaq Diesel in 1993. He got upset when Dwight Howard started calling himself Superman as well. [135] He forwent an opportunity to participate in the 2000 Olympics, explaining that two gold medals were enough. O'Neal responded with an expletive toward Riley, whom he often referred to as the "great Pat Riley" while playing for the Heat. [23] His 791 rebounds during the 1989 season remains a state record for a player in any classification. ", "Daily Dime: Shaq gets the spotlight, while Kobe gets the game", "Riley bothered by Shaq's criticism of Heat players, staff", "Magic's Van Gundy calls out Shaq for flopping", "Cavaliers Acquire 15-Time NBA All-Star and Four-Time NBA Champion Shaquille ONeal", Cleveland Cavaliers' Shaquille O'Neal leaves game with 'significant thumb injury, "Shaquille O'Neal: Cavaliers should have won title in 2010", "Grousbeck's faith goes right down to the core", "A large addition to Celtics' sizeable history", "Celtics Creak Toward Postseason, Hoping They Have Legs for a Run", "Shaq says he's 85 percent; out another week", "Amare Stoudemire back as Celts' reserves top Knicks' second string", "Shaq announces NBA retirement on Twitter, using Tout iPhone app [Updated]", "Shaq moving on to the next chapterretirement", O'Neal, Bryant Still Possible for Olympics, Colangelo says Shaq not ruling out Olympics, Full Summer Gives U.s. Players More Than A Workout, "New This Year In Nba: Shaq-proof Backboards", "Career Leaders and Records for Field Goal Pct", "Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs Recap April 29, 2008", "Career Leaders and Records for Free Throw Attempts ", "Mason's 3-pointer gives Spurs 9190 win over Suns", "5 Things Dwight Howard Does Better Than Shaquille O'Neal Ever Did With The LA Lakers", "Shaquille O'Neal's retirement brings reflections on his legacy with the Lakers", "Lakers retire Shaquille O'Neal's jersey", "Shaq and 31 more athletes with numbers retired by multiple teams", "Shaq Now Among Small Group Of Athletes Whose Numbers Have Been Retired By Multiple Teams", "Inside the NBA SI's Jack McCallum: Sizing up Shaq", "Shaquille O'Neal was not always the most dominating, but always the most fun", "Sports of The Times; Fans in Shanghai Are Voting in the Mainstream", "Tall tale? O'Neal has a daughter named Taahirah O'Neal (b. July 19, 1996)[307][308] from a previous relationship with his ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh. O'Neal had been made an "honorary deputy" by the local sheriff's department. "Shaq Daddy" is one of his manynicknames carryinghip-hop connotationsO'Neal is mild hip-hop through and through. "[76] During the 200506 season, the Heat recorded only a .500 record without O'Neal in the line-up. eBay (dagr8one300) Add to watchlist. "[51], In the November 10, 1999, game against the Houston Rockets, O'Neal and Charles Barkley were ejected. In the summer before moving to Orlando, he spent time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Amazing! I know for a fact if I was healthy, we would have gotten it done that year and won a ring. "[109] O'Neal averaged career lows in almost every major statistical category during the 200910 season, taking on a much less significant role than in previous years. [157] When he did not want to speak with the press, he employed an interview technique whereby, sitting in front of his cubicle, he would murmur in his low-pitched voice. [309], On September 4, 2007, O'Neal filed for divorce from Shaunie in a Miami-Dade Circuit court. Y'all don't eat at the same places. And Shaq is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the world. Long-time Laker point guard Nick Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets; his former backcourt partner Eddie Jones was packaged with back-up center Elden Campbell for Glen Rice to satisfy a demand by O'Neal for a shooter. The Lakers had hoped O'Neal would take less money due to his age, physical conditioning, and games missed due to injuries. Another very humorous one is The Big Deporter. [268] He has also been an active real estate entrepreneur. Upon O'Neal's return, Van Gundy resigned, citing family reasons, and Pat Riley assumed head coach responsibilities. [202], In September 2006, O'Neal took part in a raid on a home in rural Bedford County, Virginia. O'Neal missed the first 12 games of the 200203 season recovering from toe surgery. He even dished out some of the most lasting nicknames to his fellow superstars, like Paul "The Truth" Pierce, Dwyane "Flash" Wade and Tim "The Big Fundamental" Duncan, but O'Neal always saved plenty for himself. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who had coached O'Neal with the Heat, was "very disappointed cause [O'Neal] knows what it's like. This one comes from Shaq saying he has two sides: Shaquille is corporate, nice-looking, soft-spoken, wears suits, and is very cordial to people, whereas Shaq is the dominant athlete who is the two-time champion. Shaq has been an expert in basketball since college. [36] O'Neal had a power struggle while playing under Hill. [11] He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017. In my nicknames for Shaq ideas, I use combinations that are appealing to the eyes, interesting to others, convey my personality, and are easy to spell and pronounce. Shaq is Shaquille ONeals actual nickname, so you would think it would rank higher on this list. O'Neal told a reporter, "you tell Yao Ming, ching chong yang, wah, ah so. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. [65] O'Neal later referred to Van Gundy as a "frontrunner" and a "master of panic. Shaquille's impressively powerful scores in his 18 years career with the Lakers team ranked his eighth position in the NBA league history with average scores of a double-double of 24.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 28,596 points. [70] Winter said, "[O'Neal] left because he couldn't get what he wanteda huge pay raise. Sure, he could simply back down just about every other player in the league, but he was happy enough with his own footwork to compare himself to Mikhail Baryshnikov, one of the greatest ballet dancers in history. Shaquille O'Neal does believe that his fellow NBA Hall of Famer is, in fact, 300 pounds of greatness, but Barkley disagrees with the opinion. O'Neal is a man who has a lot of cakecheddar, cash flow, greenbacks, moneyto spendduring hisretirement, and he'll have a lot of time to play and get more. Big Baby [Glen Davis] breaks my hand and I had to sit out five weeks late in the year. [262] At the end of the interview, O'Neal got water thrown on him by Brandi after telling her to get pointers from Cargill, who had broken Brandi's arm several weeks ago. Allegedly, Shaq gave it to himself in recognition for his great ability to give good interviews. In his first playoff series, O'Neal averaged 20.7 points and 13.3 rebounds as the Pacers swept the Magic. Below are some tips to choose a good nickname. MDE suffers from the same problems as a nickname as the last entry on this list: L.C.L. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. He's an athlete, entrepreneur and playerformer playernot necessarily in that order. The 2nd Golden Age began when Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, and David Robinson faced off regularly in the league. Despite battles with the likes of Duncan, Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo, there were few instances when Shaq wasnt the best big man on the floor. "I'd just go there to shoot. [200], Upon his trade to Miami, O'Neal began training to become a Miami Beach reserve officer. Show more Loading comments. comment . Story Behind The Name: Shaquille O'Neal has picked up several nicknames since arriving in the NBA in 1992. The Big Baryshnikov -- Nimble and light on his feet, the center took on this nickname in reference to one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time, Mikhail Baryshinikov. You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter. [173] O'Neal justified his act by saying "I was freestyling. I wanna be different. O'Neal was already wary of the long-term damage his frequent consumption of these medications might have. The Kidadl Team is made up of people from different walks of life, from different families and backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. Which is your favorite of the possible Cleveland Shaq nicknames? After O'Neal and his wife went into a restaurant, Ashton Kutcher's crew members let the air out of O'Neal's tires. more information Accept. the name of one of the worst video games in history. In fact, there are many different reasons why people use nicknames. and continued to pretend that he did not know who Bryant was until well into the 200506 season.[171]. I want to thank you very much. Both The Big Cactus and our next entry come from Shaqs late-career foray around the league. O'Neal made his 12th consecutive All-Star Team, made the All-NBA 1st Team, and won the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award for his performance in March. [131] He received the position in return for breaking news of his NBA retirement on the service. Enough. [152][153] The Heat eventually retired his jersey on December 22, 2016, during halftime of a game against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal is among a host of NBA free agents who could vanish from their teams", "Magic are proof that wounds from star's departure do heal", "NBA Lakers Sign O'Neal Raise Ticket Prices", "Shaq signs multi-million contract with LA Lakers", "Sports of The Times;Shaq Is Now California Dreamin', "Sports Products Deal For Shaquille O'Neal", "1996-97 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats", "O'Neal wanted to pack more offensive punch", "Jackson shares thoughts on final season", "Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers Box Score, March 6, 2000", "NBA Players with 60% 2b Points in a Game With%3d0 3pm", "Phil Jackson's tenure produced the most success and fun we've ever seen", "Sports of The Times; N.B.A. He averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds with 8 total blocks. [47] O'Neal averaged 26.2 points and 12.5 rebounds in his first season with Los Angeles; however, he again missed over 30 games due to injury. Shaquille O'Neal Basketball, Kryptonite 46 Copy quote I don't know how it is for you earthlings, but where I'm from, strength is mental. Now that Shaq is with the Cavaliers, here are a few nicknames that could be possible for Shaq to either be dubbed with or dub himself with soon: The Remake on the Lake The Cleveland Steamer. [232], On July 14, 2011, O'Neal announced that he would join Turner Network Television (TNT) as an analyst on its NBA basketball games, joining Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.[233]. Shaq has had a lot of nicknames during his time in the league. [318][319], O'Neal began dating Laticia Rolle, a model, originally from Gardner, Massachusetts, in early 2014. [37][38] O'Neal's Olympic teammates teased him over the poll. After he made a steal and got a breakaway dunk to force overtime in a game his Lakers would go on to win, Shaq said he was a great thief, The Big Felon. [203], In June 2008, the Bedford County, Virginia, and Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff departments revoked O'Neal special deputyship after a video surfaced of him rapping about Kobe Bryant and using racial slurs. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. In August 2005, O'Neal signed a 5-year-extension with the Heat for $100million. [69] After the series, O'Neal was angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O'Neal's future with the club, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson at the request of Buss. However, his high school team did not have a 33 jersey, so O'Neal chose to wear No. I was upset. They might use them to refer to each other, or even just to their friends. Beginning in 1993, O'Neal began to compose rap music. O'Neal appeared as himself on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, bedridden after Larry David's character accidentally tripped him while stretching, and in two episodes each of My Wife and Kids and The Parkers. Kaskade, DJ Diesel (Aka Shaquille O'Neal) Among The Headliners At This Year's Indy 500 Snake Pit Subtronics, John Summit, DJ Diesel (aka Shaquille O'Neal) and Jauz also will perform in the. The Captain was always a dumb name for Kareem. That opened the door for many more to come. Checkout the latest stats for Shaquille Leonard. [56], A month before the 200102season's training camp, O'Neal had corrective surgery for a claw toe deformity in the smallest toe of his left foot. Presumably, Shaq gave himself this nickname because he can be prickly on the outside but soft on the inside like the plant. [130][131] On a short video on Twitter, O'Neal tweeted, "We did it. In sports, a field general is a leader for his team. "[102], The 2009 NBA Playoffs was also the first time since O'Neal's rookie season in 199293 that he did not participate in the playoffs. But, as I mentioned above, I am partial to the Big Shamrock. It's most definitely time to go. Oof. 8. In 1999, prior to the 19992000 season, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as head coach, and the team's fortunes soon changed. The Big Cactus -- The Big Shaqtus: The largest walking succulent in recorded history. shaq nicknames for other players. [78] O'Neal finished the 200506 season as the league leader in field goal percentage. But he doesnt seem like someone hanging out with an academic crowd, either. But then I read the list out loud to my ten-year-old daughter (shout out to you Katherine you made the blog) and I got it! Shaq has a Superman tattoo on his right arm and has long used the nickname Superman as part of his branding. He accomplished his dream with a 3.813 GPA and 1100 graduates in the commencement ceremony. [268] In late 2016, he purchased the Krispy Kreme location at 295 Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1993-94 Fleer Ultra Famous Nicknames Complete Insert Set NBA Jordan Shaq at the best online prices at eBay! [25], After graduating from high school, O'Neal studied business at Louisiana State University (LSU). [212][213][214][215] O'Neal appeared in the arcade version of NBA Jam (1993), NBA Jam (2003) and NBA Live 2004 as a current player and as a 1990s All-Star. Were doing the Big X again? He also taunted Bryant for not being able to win a championship without him. [57], In January 2002, he was involved in a spectacular on-court brawl in a game against the Chicago Bulls. See above. Despite O'Neal's injuries, the Magic finished with a regular season record of 6022, second in the Eastern conference to the Chicago Bulls, who finished with an NBA record 72 wins. Must See 19. The man could spit fire in addition to throwing it down.