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Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is one of the National Basketball Association's most dominant basketball players. more...

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O'Neal first played for the Orlando Magic, later signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, and now plays for the Miami Heat. At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), 325 pounds (147 kg) and U.S. shoe size 22, he is famous for his physical stature. He has several nicknames, most of which he conferred upon himself, such as The Diesel, The Big Aristotle, M.D.E (Most Dominant Ever), Superman, and most recently after earning his MBA, Doctor Shaq. Heralded since he entered the league at 20 years of age, his 13-year career has become one of the most impressive stints of any player in NBA history and a standard for centers for years to come.

Childhood

O'Neal, born in Newark, New Jersey, was named "Shaquille Rashaun" by his biological father, Joseph Toney. However, he is not close to his biological father; one of his songs, "Biological Didn't Bother", explains his feelings. (It is commonly reported that "Shaquille Rashaun" means "little warrior" in Arabic, but this is a misconception as neither "Shaquille" nor "Rashaun" is an Arabic word or name; they are from the Persian languages Farsi and Urdu.)

O'Neal's mother, Lucille O'Neal Harrison, would marry U.S. Army sergeant Phillip Harrison (whom O'Neal considers his father figure) shortly after Shaquille's birth. O'Neal spent some of his childhood in Germany in Wildflecken, Bavaria, where his stepfather Harrison was stationed with the U.S. Army. It was there that he learned to play basketball.

O'Neal fractured both of his wrists while climbing between two trees, trying to imitate Superman, his comic book favorite, and sometimes explains that this is why he makes only half of his free throws.

Basketball career

Louisiana State University

He first gained national attention as a star at Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas. He became High School Player of the Year during his playing years there. As a young man, he attended Louisiana State University (LSU) to study and graduate with a bachelor degree in business. While on LSU's basketball team, he was a two-time first team All-American, two-time Southeastern Conference player of the year, and the national player of the year in 1991. He holds the NCAA record for shots blocked in a game with a whopping 17 blocks against Mississippi State University on December 3, 1990.

Dale Brown, LSU's coach at that time, states that he first met O'Neal while Brown was visiting Germany, and mistook the then-13 year old for one of the soldiers. At the time, O'Neal was already 6'6" (1.98 m), but weighed only about 223 pounds (101 kg). Over the next several years, he would grow several more inches, but put on 80 pounds (36 kg) of muscle.

Read more at Wikipedia.org