Born in Newark, New Jersey, O'Neal was destined....
Born in Newark, New Jersey, O'Neal was destined to be a basketball star. By the age of 13, he was an astonishing 6'6" and already the talk of the town. This legend in the making entered the NBA draft after his junior season at Louisiana State University and was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic. The accolades that O'Neal received during his first year in the NBA surpassed that which any rookie had previously received. So it was no surprise that O'Neal would be named Rookie of the Year in 1993.
In 1994, O'Neal took his talent off the court and into the studio. He released his first of four albums titled "Shaq Diesel," which instantly went platinum. Also that year, Shaq made his feature debut in the basketball drama "Blue Chips" (1994) which starred Nick Nolte as a coach who is forced to break the rules in order to keep his players content and competitive. In 1996, O'Neal was traded from Orlando to Los Angeles, signing a lucrative contract with the Lakers. The move proved advantages to his budding acting career as well -- the same year he received his first starring role and producer credit for the family comedy "Kazaam" (1996). The following year, O'Neal starred as an action hero in "Steel" (1997) and received his second credit as an executive producer.
O'Neal continued to expand his acting resume by making appearances on both the big screen as well as television. He also handled business back on the court leading the Los Angeles to three championship titles, seeking the fourth in 2003.