Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal played for 19 seasons with six teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, before retiring. Throughout his professional career, Shaq achieved several milestones, including winning 4 NBA championships, being named NBA MVP in 2000, earning the NBA Finals MVP award three times, and being selected as an NBA All-Star 15 times.
In addition to his remarkable basketball career, O’Neal, who was recently praised by Gilbert Arenas, has also found success in the entertainment industry. As a DJ and NBA analyst, he has entertained his fans for years.
In a recent interview with People, DJ Diesel mentioned that his career as a DJ saved him from feeling lost after retiring from the NBA. O’Neal clarified that he began his career as a DJ because it provided him with the same rush of excitement as a championship game.
“I started DJing because it gave me the same adrenaline boost that a championship game would give me. I was lost because I had planned to retire two years after I retired. So I wasn’t really prepared. I’ve been playing since I was 14 years old and always had that step into the arena feeling of the game. I always had that hour and a half or so. And when I stopped playing, I didn’t have that.” O’Neal said.
Following his retirement from the NBA, O’Neal released four studio albums, two compilation albums, two soundtracks, one unreleased album, and 19 singles.
Shaquille O’Neal Shares His Gratitude For Continuing To Work
O’Neal is one of the most entertaining personalities in NBA history. Along with former NBA player Charles Barkley, the “Big Diesel” has entertained basketball fans for years on the “Inside The NBA” show on TNT. Shaq has expressed that it’s a blessing for him to still be working because he believes that he won’t be able to do it one day.
“I went to this concert, and I got the same feeling again. I was like, ‘You know what? And I used to do this. Lemme see if I can pick it up again. So yeah, it’s fun, but it only lasts an hour and a half. I know a lot of people in my position don’t have anything going on, they just wake up and are lost. So the fact that I’m working, it’s a blessing. So any job I can get, I’ll just continue to do because one day I’ll be in that position where I won’t be able to do it anymore.” O’Neal added.
O’Neal is a successful businessman. He owns “The Big Chicken,” a fast-food chain. In addition to his role as the general manager of Kings Guard Gaming in the NBA 2K League, he was a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings from 2013 until 2022.
In addition to acting in several movies, he has been featured in two reality series: Shaq’s Big Challenge and Shaq Vs. Additionally, he co-hosts The Big Podcast with Shaq.
