Shaquille O'Neal in the Hall of Fame: 5 reasons there will never be another Shaq

#5 Larger than life

Almost as generous as the man who’s garb he’s donned

The greatest centers of all time had aloof personalities. Bill Russell was statesmanlike, Wilt Chamberlain had a huge and fragile ego, and so on. Shaq was perhaps the first big man who was that good on the court and approachable off it. He has one of the most disarming personalities the league has ever seen.

On the court, Shaq was vicious and sneering. He'd want to rip your heart out and stomp on it. However, he also had a clownish side to him, one which would have all those around him in stitches. Despite being smart as tack, he'd feign ignorance of big words and portray himself as an affable and happy go lucky guy.

When Shaq was fined $5,000 for wearing short shorts, he came into the locker room trying to wear tight 32 inch John Stockton style shorts around his 54-inch waist. Amidst his comical attempt, he said "Are these better, Stern?" referring to the then NBA commissioner David Stern.

Big men typically don't have a wide assortment of elegant moves, but Shaq could move it with the best of them. LeBron James had been leading his team in elaborate pre-game rituals and dances for ages. Dwight Howard prides himself on being a cheerful fella who can break into an impromptu jig at a moment's notice. But neither of them were a match for Shaq's moves.

Shaq's impact went way beyond the court and out in the neighborhoods where he played Santa Claus absent a filming crew. It wasn't uncommon for him to load up on toys in his trunk and distribute them to the deserving. He'd call himself Shaquaclaus and celebrate ‘Shaqsgiving’ by distributing food to the less fortunate.

Shaq was preparing for his days after retirement from an early age. He got an MBA in 2004 and a Doctorate in Education in 2012. He also became a reserve police officer and helped the police in patrolling.

He is now an analyst on Inside the NBA on TNT and continues to entertain and educate his fans. Safe to say, there will never be another player like Shaquille O'Neal for decades to come, if ever at all that is.