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If you’re an NBA player and think you might one day get a random text from Shaquille O’Neal, don’t get your hopes up.
O’Neal, 54, doesn’t reach out to NBA players past or present for one reason.
“Nobody. I don’t like athletes or superstars because they’re a–holes,” O’Neal told the New York Post.
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Shaquille O’Neal watches the Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 28, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)
The basketball Hall of Famer said he denounced himself as a celebrity years ago for a similar reason.
“I talked myself out of being a celebrity about 10 years ago because those people are weird. I’m not weird,” O’Neal said.
The New Jersey native said he wants to treat people with respect and just be a regular guy. Despite his prowess as a basketball player, O’Neal attended school after his career.
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December 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Shaquille O’Neal arrives on the red carpet before the Emirates NBA Cup semifinal game at T-Mobile Arena. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
O’Neal left LSU after his junior year to play in the NBA, but returned to finish his undergraduate degree. He also has an MBA and Ph.D in education, but people don’t think he actually got the “Dr.” before his name.
“The funniest thing I get is, ‘Oh, that’s honorable.’ I’m like, ‘No, it’s not. I had to go to school and write papers and do all that stuff,'” O’Neal said.
“I’m very super successful without it, but I wanted to stress to my kids and kids around that education is very important.”
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Shaquille O’Neal watches before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 6, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)
O’Neal talked about the NIL era and how young athletes want the money first but don’t have the education on how to manage the money.
O’Neal thrived on the court, winning four NBA titles across his 19 seasons and making 15 All-Star teams, and seems to thrive off the court as well.
