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Shaquille O'Neal has since been a very important figure in the basketball scene since making his debut as a rookie for the Orlando Magic in 1992. He has won almost everything there is to win in the NBA and has done that while entertaining the world with his other activities off the court.
Shaquille O'Neal is by far the most talented NBA player, with his talents seeing him function in various other industries and making a splash while at it. Shaq has engrained himself and his brand into the entertainment scene for decades, and while not all endeavors were successful, he is most fulfilled in leaving no stone unturned.
In this article, we'd highlight the five most iconic moments Shaq has had over the years in the entertainment scene.
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#5 Reality TV Shaq
In 2009, Shaquille O'Neal embarked on a new experience outside his basketball career. He starred in a reality TV show about himself, titled Shaq Vs. The show sees Shaq go through new challenges in every episode. With his claim of being the greatest athlete, he takes on different professionals in their various fields in a match of skills.
Some of these challenges include a game of beach volleyball against the three-time volleyball Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, playing against Ben Roethlisberger in a game of 7-on-7 football challenge, and a swimming contest against the most decorated Olympian, Micheal Phelps, who has a total of 28 medals.
Shaquille O'Neal's ABC Network powered show was co-anchored by Pat Tomasulo (WGN-TV sports anchor) and Mike Goldbert (UFC play-by-play announcer).
#4 Shaq and Justin Bieber dance-off
One iconic moment that had millions of fans across the globe raving in total awe of Shaquille O'Neal's multi-talented skills was a dance-off with the multiplatinum award-winning Pop/R&B star, Justin Bieber.
The dance-off took place in Orlando, Florida, on one of Bieber's tours and was witnessed by thousands of highly excited fans. The seven-foot NBA superstar who created the content as part of his episode on the ABC show "Shaq Vs" busted nerve-racking moves, one of which was his famous breakneck move. Shaquille O'Neal wowed the world, including Bieber, on how light he was on his feet, showing other big men how to do it on the dance floor.
At the 2009 NBA All-Star game, which was held in Phoenix, Shaquille O'Neal took the stage with the award-winning American dance group, Jabbawockeez, all dressed in their famous costumes. He danced with the group in a minute-long routine that saw him ripping his pants off his body and throwing it into the crowd to the delight of the hometown fans.
#3 Shaq the wrestler
Shaquille O'Neal made his professional wrestling debut on TNT's All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on March 3, 2021. He paired up with former NBA player Jade Cargill in a tag-team match against Cody Rhodes and the Red Velvet.
Shaq's outing in professional wrestling was a memorable one as he pulled off a powerbomb move in the second round, picking up Rhodes and slamming him on the mat. While Cargill helped the duo win the match-up, Shaq laid unconscious after a cross-body slam across the commentators' table outside the ring from Rhodes. Shaquille O'Neal was later attended to by a doctor and rushed out in an ambulance.
#2 Shaq takes on Hollywood
Shaquille O'Neal has almost done it all. He took on Hollywood for the first time in 1992, in a movie titled, Blue Chips. It was the story of a basketball coach who is in dire need of a win at all cost, Shaq starred as one of the star basketball players in the movie. The movie also starred his future teammate Penny Hardaway.
In the mid-nineties, the former Lakers big man headlined two Hollywood movies, Steel and the infamous Kazaam. Both films had a terrible outing at the Box office. While Steel was a DC Comic superhero production, Kazaam was the story of a Genie that raps, who was stuck in a boombox but was later released with the help of a young boy. Kazaam was both a joke and a source of reference to Shaquille O'Neal's talent.
He also made cameo appearances at some other titles, including some Adam Sandler movies, Scary Movie 4 and started in the hit basketball movie Uncle Drew, which starred Kyrie Irving.
#1 Shaq Goes Platinum
Amongst the numerous things Shaquille O'Neal partook in the entertainment world, he was most successful in the music industry. The NBA All-Star sold over a million copies of his album debut, Shaq Diesel, earning him a RIAA platinum certification on March 21, 1994. The album made it to the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart.
Following the success of his debut project, Shaquille O'Neal released three other albums in the following years, Shaq Fu: Da Return, You Can't Stop The Reign and Respect. They all made it to the Billboard charts also, with Shaq Fu peaking at No. 67 on the Billboard 200, and No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Can't Stop The Reign (No. 58 on Billboard 200 and No. 21 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-hop albums) and Respect (No. 82 and No. 8 respectively).
Five of his songs also made it to the Billboard Hot 100 list, which is the most recognized chart list for singles.
