Shaquille O'Neal

Excessively flippant and off-the-wall, O'Neal's outrageous personality and diverse interests keep his fans highly entertained. In his 2001 memoir, Shaq Talks Back from St. Martin's Press, he explains in his own words, "Where I Came from and How I Got So Damn Big." With a projected NBA salary of $21 million, O'Neal's player paycheck is the second highest in the league. With a net worth of $171 million in 2002 he was listed at number 22 among Fortune's "40 richest under 40."

Nicknamed Big Aristotle by some fans, O'Neal's teammates know him at times rather as Big Moody. When a toe injury to his size 22 foot kept him off the court after the 2002 NBA finals through November of the new season, he was unabashedly vocal about how he felt. He minced no words and chided to reporters that his pain was not to be taken lightly. Regardless, O'Neal's personal confidence may well be as large as his feet. Biographer Jack McCallum reported in Sports Illustrated that during the 2002 NBA Western Conference Playoffs, O'Neal sent the opposing coach Rick Adelman of the Sacramento Kings a piece of poetry that read, "Don't cry/Dry your eyes/Here comes Shaq/With those four little guys." O'Neal later bared the bottom of his backside to Kings fans after the Lakers won the conference title.

McCallum defended the impact of O'Neal as a player, although he seems at times to be larger than life. "[His] influence on his team is so profound, because he has worked so hard at becoming a complete player and because he has played through so much pain, he bristles whenever it is suggested that his oversized body is the primary reason for his success—a suggestion that is made every night of the season," said the writer.

O'Neal, who published his first autobiography, Shaq Attack, with Hyperion in 1993, and branched into children's literature in the late 1990s with Shaq and the Beanstalk and Other Very Tall Tales. Following his rookie year in Orlando, he earned $1 million for his role as Nick Nolte's co-star in the feature film Blue Chip. O'Neal starred three more feature films—Kazaam in 1996, Steel in 1997, and The Wash in 2001. O'Neal, who directed the cable television series Cousin Skeeter, has expressed an interest in appearing in more action roles. He has appeared many times as himself on network television situation comedies and talk shows. A self-professed "Jersey guy," he anticipates a second career in law enforcement when his athletic prowess fades.

O'Neal is the father of two daughters and one son. He owns mansions Beverly Hills, California, and near Orlando, Florida. On December 26, 2002, he wed Shaunie Nelson, his friend of several years. Together the couple have four children, including one each from previous relationships and two together.