Now this is the most dominant player to have played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Wait what am I saying, the most dominant player in basketball history, and my fellow basketball buffs can argue with their keypads. Shaquille O’Neal is monstrous standing at 7feet 1inch and weighing 147kg.
The thing about basketball for me is that I always support whatever team my favourite player plays for so because of O’Neal I have been an Orlando Magic fan, a Lakers fan, supported the Miami Heat, followed the Phoenix Suns, looked out for Cleveland Cavaliers and then finally the Boston Celtics.
Who is my current favourite basketball player? Kevin Durant (KD) so yeah I currently support the Brooklyn Nets after supporting Golden State Warriors and prior to that Oklahoma City Thunder because of KD. And no KD isn’t even half Shaquille’s size.
Why is Shaq or Diesel as Shaquille is fondly called the topic of discussion? He’s my all-time favourite basketball player, a player I heard about from my cousin Big Yomz and loved immediately I saw him play. He was with the Orlando Magic then and back in Secondary School Big Yomz had a football team he called Shaq Attaqers. Now Big Yomz too is a big fella and for someone his size you would be shocked on how he can carry his body, he played football really well and I admired that. Not forgetting Labimbi, my cousin also and Big Yomz’ younger bro. He is Big too and can carry himself really well so you see sports is not just for slim people.
Shaquille O’Neal won 4 NBA titles in his career which spanned over 19 years. 3 of those titles were with the LA Lakers that had the late Kobe Bryant (2000-2002) and guess who the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of those 3 finals were, you guessed right if you said Shaq. You see size is nothing. He won his 4th NBA title with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Shaquille O’Neal destroyed the backboard about 18 times in his career with his slam dunks and the only thing he was horrible at was free throws.
The 48 year who also won Olympic Gold with the American basketball team bagged a B.A in General Studies with a minor Political Science and also has an MBA. He is into a lot of businesses from owning restaurants to having stocks in a lot blue chip companies.
He is an analyst on Turner Network Television (TNT) analysing NBA games along with Ernie Johnson, 2 time NBA Champion Kenny Smith and a legend of the sport Charles Barkley. Shaquille also has a TV program called Shaqtin’ a fool where the most outrageous and foolish plays from current NBA seasons are discussed. He hosts the show with the guys mentioned above. Find it and watch it if you are a basketball buff, it is really interesting.
I apparently chose to write about my all-time favourite basketball player today because I opened YouTube this afternoon and a video of him being interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel’s show popped up. His sense of humour is out of this world and he is also funny as HELL.
At the end of the day size doesn’t matter, just do YOU.
Catch ya tomorrow, SHALOM!!!