BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) MUSIC
I not only had two copies of his debut album “Shaq Diesel”, but I enjoyed them. I can’t tell you ANYTHING about the album right now except that it was really bad. That didn’t stop me from enjoyed it to the point that I lost one tape and HAD to replace it. Crazy? Yes, yes it is. At that point I was like nine years old and rap music and basketball were both at their best so don’t judge me too hard. From there I went my own way, bur Shaq apparently kept going. He put out four more studio albums and a compilation album of all his friends in music dropping a track. It’s cool he kept up with it… I guess.
(THREE) COPPER
Imagine getting pulled over and the big monster of a man that is Shaquille O’Neal asking you for your license and registration. Yikes. Shaq has been a huge supporter of law enforcement for quite a while. While in LA, he went through the LA County Sheriff’s Reserve Academy and became a reserve for the LA Port Police. In 2005 he was given the honor of US Deputy Marshal and became a spokesperson for a group against internet predators. When he was traded to Miami he didn’t stop. He became a reserve for Miami Beach and even made a call in on an arrest or two. You’ll never take me alive, Shaq-fu!
(TWO) ACTOR
If you haven’t seen Kazaam then you’re a better person for it. Shaq is a genie who grants some kid wishes and befriends him in the process. It was horrible, but in all the good ways. There’s also the small appearance he had in CB4, the best rap movie ever. He does TV too as he has popped up in My Wife and Kids, The Parkers, and in one of my favorite episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Still to me his best work came in the role he had in Blue Chips. Seriously, Blue Chips is one of the most underrated basketball movies I’ve seen.
(ONE) BEST CENTER OF ALL TIME?
I was never a huge Shaq fan. He never played for the Bulls so it happens. As a person, I think he’s a cool dude and I have nothing but respect for him. He has recently retired after playing for like two decades. I remember basketball before Shaq, but not a whole lot. He has become a fixture in pop culture, but he’s one of the best basketball players of all time. He’s one of the best basketball players of all time. Some say Wilt or Kareem or others, but Shaq is my pick. He knocked down a career average of over 23 points, over 10 boards, and just over 2 blocks. Those numbers would have been even higher if he hadn’t have been a beast and played for twenty years. His presence in the middle is going to be missed, but forever remembered. Jordan, Bird, Magic, Shaq, and you decide, but THAT is THE “ALL TIME” team for sure.
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