Highlights
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972) is a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat. O'Neal is known for his size (7-foot-1, up to at least 360 pounds and a size 23 shoe), strength and physical style of play. O'Neal is considered one of the best players in the basketball history and has won four NBA championships, including three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat. The 2006-07 season is O'Neal's 16th in the NBA; he has been selected to the All-Star team each year. O'Neal was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and the Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002. In 1996, the 50th anniversary of the NBA's founding, O'Neal was nam...
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972) is a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat. O'Neal is known for his size (7-foot-1, up to at least 360 pounds and a size 23 shoe), strength and physical style of play. O'Neal is considered one of the best players in the basketball history and has won four NBA championships, including three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat. The 2006-07 season is O'Neal's 16th in the NBA; he has been selected to the All-Star team each year. O'Neal was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and the Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002. In 1996, the 50th anniversary of the NBA's founding, O'Neal was named one of the 50 greatest players in league history by a panel of former players, coaches, general managers, team executives and media. O'Neal was the youngest player among the top 50. In addition to his professional accomplishments, O'Neal is one of the most popular figures in sports, considered appealing to fans because of the likeable image he portrays despite his intimidating size. His stardom is such that he most often is referred to only by his nickname, "Shaq," and over the years has also given himself other enduring nicknames like "Diesel" and "The Big Aristotle." O'Neal's stepfather, Phillip Harrison, married his mother Lucille when Shaquille was an infant. Harrison was a member of the United States Army, so O'Neal once lived on a U.S. Army base in Wildflecken, West Germany. O'Neal graduated from Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he didn't play basketball until he was a junior. O'Neal has said he considers his birthplace of Newark, N.J. to be home. O'Neal was a two-time All-American at Louisiana State University under coach Dale Brown, who discovered O'Neal during a visit to Germany. In 1991 O'Neal earned the Adolph Rupp trophy, presented to college basketball's top player. After three seasons at LSU, O'Neal declared for the 1992 NBA Draft and was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Orlando Magic. O'Neal immediately established himself as a physical force in the post and demanded constant double teams because of his size and strength. O'Neal's presence altered the game because defenders would leave their men to help with O'Neal, leading to more open shots for O'Neal's teammates. O'Neal's physical play and ability to open the floor for his teammates have been cited as his most valuable assets over his career. O'Neal was named the league's rookie of the year after averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and shooting 56 percent from the floor for Orlando in 1992-93. The Magic improved its victory total by 20 games from the season before. O'Neal would play three additional seasons for Orlando, leading the Magic to a Finals loss to Houston in 1995, before signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. With the Lakers, O'Neal built on his reputation as a dominant player and gained more popularity while playing for one of the league's glamour franchises and for coach Phil Jackson, who had coached Michael Jordan in Chicago. But the Lakers advanced no further than the second round of the playoffs during O'Neal's first three seasons with the team. In 2000, O'Neal teamed with emerging star Kobe Bryant to win the first of three straight NBA championships. The Lakers lost to San Antonio in the second round of the 2003 playoffs before making it back to the Finals in 2004, losing to the Detroit Pistons. During this time the internal bickering between O'Neal and Bryant became public, eventually leading to a rift that prompted O'Neal to ask Lakers owner Jerry Buss for a trade. O'Neal claimed Buss rebuffed O'Neal's desire for a contract extension and sided with Bryant in their feud. In the summer of 2004 the Heat acquired O'Neal by sending Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant to Los Angeles. O'Neal teamed with young star Dwyane Wade to immediately elevate the Heat to championship contenders. O'Neal had a strong season while leading the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals, where it lost to Detroit in seven games. O'Neal played more of a supporting role to Wade the next season as the Heat beat Detroit in the East finals and went on to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. O'Neal had his least productive professional season in 2006-07. O'Neal shot 59 percent from the field but averaged career lows of 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 28.4 minutes per game. Shaq has appeared in several motion pictures including Kazaam, The Kid and I and more recently, Scary Movie 4. In 2007 he produced and starred in a television series, Shaq's Big Challenge aimed at helping kids get back into shape. This reality TV show focused on six Florida pre-teens and their battle to lose weight. In September 2007 O'Neal filed for divorce in Miami-Dade Circuit Court from Shaunie, his wife of five years. The O'Neal's, who resided on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida, have four children together. Each also has one child from previous relationships.
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Mavericks Defeat Suns
Former Celtics forward Rodney Rogers is paralyzed from the shoulders down after falling off an all-terrain vehicle, his college coach told The News & Observer of Charlotte, N.C. Rogers, 37, has been transferred from Duke Hospital to the Shepherd Center...Tags: Philadelphia 76ers, Jason Terry, Rodney Rogers, National Basketball Association, Basketball
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Sixers' Brand has strained hamstring
Philadelphia forward Elton Brand will miss tonight's game at Detroit with a strained right hamstring. Brand had an MRI on Thursday and did not travel with the Sixers. He is listed as day-to-day. Brand didn't play the final 17 minutes of the 76ers' 114-...Tags: Tony Parker, Philadelphia 76ers, Jason Terry, National Basketball Association, Basketball
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Mavs negate free-falling Suns
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki matched his season high with 39 points and new starter J.J. Barea provided quite a spark in the fourth quarter, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 112-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Nowitzki had 37...Tags: Phoenix Suns, Jason Terry, Basketball, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd
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Heat Q&A with Ira Winderman
Sun-Sentinel.comAsk Ira! Sun-Sentinel Heat writer Ira Winderman answers YOUR questions about the team! You can read his latest comments below. To submit your question, e-mail here. Please include your name, city and state with each question. --------------------...Tags: Patrick Ewing, Ethics, Jamaal Magloire, Jacque Vaughn, Dwyane Wade
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Dolphins Q&A with Harvey Fialkov
Sun-Sentinel.comAsk Harvey! Sun-Sentinel Dolphins writer Harvey Fialkov answers YOUR questions about the team! You can read his latest comments below. To submit your question, e-mail here. Please include your name, city and state with each question. ----------------...Tags: Patrick Ewing, Jamaal Magloire, Ethics, Jacque Vaughn, Dwyane Wade
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Nowitzki matches season high with 39 points, Barea plays big late as Dallas beats Phoenix
AP Sports WriterDALLAS (AP) — Maybe it was facing buddy Steve Nash. Maybe it was having two point guards in the starting lineup. Maybe it was the way Phoenix kept switching defenders against him without ever finding a stopper. Something put Dirk Nowitzki into...Tags: Phoenix Suns, Jason Terry, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Basketball
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K.C. Johnson's Bulls mailbag
I'm not trying to make any religious statements or anything, but I did find it interesting that I received 27 questions last Sunday alone. So either Bulls fans maximized their holy day of rest by tossing in a question to boot or you think this team...Tags: Casino and Gambling Industry, Multi-Sport Events, David Robinson, Andrew Bynum, United Center
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Paranoia could be reason why athletes embrace guns
The very thing that would appear to insulate professional athletes from worry -- the kind of money that can buy all of life's comforts and safeguards -- in fact can be a trigger for personal insecurities fostering their widespread embrace of guns. "It'...Tags: Scottie Pippen, Athletes, Basketball, Paul Pierce, Defense
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With Cavaliers and Celtics rolling, East's 2 best teams looking better every day
The Cleveland Cavaliers keep rolling at home while the Boston Celtics have been unbeatable almost anywhere. The Eastern Conference's two best teams look better every day. LeBron James scored 21 points then grabbed an early seat on the bench as the...Tags: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Dwyane Wade, Basketball
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Toronto fires coach Mitchell
The Toronto Raptors fired coach Sam Mitchell on Wednesday and replaced him with assistant Jay Triano, one day after an embarrassing loss at Denver. Mitchell led the Raptors to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and was honored as the NBA's...Tags: Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, Utah Jazz, Dwyane Wade, Sam Mitchell
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Roy's late surge defeats Wizards
From Sun news servicesBrandon Roy took over down the stretch last night, scoring 12 of his 22 points in the final eight minutes to help visiting Portland beat the Washington Wizards, 98-92, and extend the Trail Blazers' winning streak to six games. The well-balanced Blazers...Tags: Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Dwyane Wade, Sam Mitchell, Basketball
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Paul, Stojakovic, lead Hornets past Suns, 104-91
AP Sports WriterNEW ORLEANS (AP) _ Chris Paul had 24 points and 15 assists to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 104-91 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. Peja Stojakovic also scored 24 points, highlighted by his five 3-pointers, and David West added 23...Tags: Tyson Chandler, Phoenix Suns, Raja Bell, Basketball, Grant Hill
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