Shaquille O’Neal: life after the NBA

The NBA history books are enlisted with some of the all-time greats who have graced the sport and the league itself over the past couple of centuries. However, few have been as unique as Shaquille O’Neal who was loved not just by the fans of the six respective clubs he played for during his 19-year career in the NBA but by basketball fanatics from all over the world.

by  Keith Allison 

What made Shaq so special was he did not fit the stereotypical looking basketball player. He was heavier than most of his team-mates and opponents, however, he used his size to his advantage and went onto lift the NBA Championship on four different occasions, picked up the NBA MVP award in 2000 and was named the MVP in the finals in three different years.

Since retiring from the NBA, O’Neal has established a successful career in the media where he features frequently on the Inside the NBA show, discussing some of the sport’s finest players today, including LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Although Shaq was never a big fan of talking to the media during his playing career, he is never afraid to give his opinions on the subjects which matter in the sport.

Earlier this year, O’Neal joined up with PLAYSTUDIOS where he has been incorporated into two of their new casino games, Caddy Shaq and Shaqjack, similar to those which can be found at www.pokies.com.

Caddy Shaq is an online slot machine game where Shaq is used as a symbol on the reels. If three Shaq symbols are stacked together, the player wins free spins until they hit a winner in the game. Shaqjack, on the other hand, is a blackjack game in which there are several basketball/O’Neal themed tables available to sit down to play against the dealer. This is also narrated by Shaq himself.

Throughout his NBA career, Shaq was keen to combine basketball with education and in 2012 he completed his degree in Human Resource Development at Barry University. To add his to skillset, the former LA Lakers star also studied directing and cinematography. This was studied with New York’s Academy Filmmaking Conservatory and has opened up even further doors for the former NBA all-star.

In 2013, O’Neal was part of the new ownership of the Sacramento Kings where he bought a minority share of the team. Since then, the club has been under a rebuilding process which has seen them improve with each season.