The Big 401K

This past Wednesday, 19 year NBA veteran and 15 time All-Star Shaquille O’Neal retired from the NBA after a year with the Boston Celtics. Father time, nagging injuries, and possibly an extra 20 pounds finally caught up to The Diesel. It is ironic that, last week, the Hat Trick reflected upon Shaq's best years, comparing the Dallas Mavericks furious fourth quarter comeback against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to a similar comeback led by Shaq, then with the Los Angeles Lakers, against the Portland Trailblazers in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals. Shaq was dominant. Shaq was unstoppable. Shaq was a lot of fun to watch. Now, his career is over.

Shaq, then a rookie with the Orlando Magic, taking Dikembe Mutumbo to the hole. Where did the time go? 1

THE BIG LEGACY

A slam dunk for the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, Shaq retires after winning 4 NBA championship rings and being a part of two other teams to win the conference championship and reach the Finals. He played for the Orlando Magic, the Los Angeles Lakers (where he had his best years), the Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Celtics. Shaq was well traveled in his longevity in the NBA.


Shaq was no ordinary player. He was no ordinary superstar. When he spoke, people listened, usually to see what he would say next. O’Neal brought a very rare combination of being literally and figuratively larger than life in his stature and personality. Past all of the size and showmanship, he was an absolutely unstoppable force in his prime, enabling O’Neal’s teams to win 4 championships in 5 Finals appearances during a seven year span.

Shaq and Dwayne Wade after Shaq's final championship in 2006. 2

THE BIG HEART

In addition to being one of the most well known and significant faces in the history of basketball, Shaq was also a low profile philanthropist with a big heart. Shaq is a fellow alum of my alma-mater, Louisiana State University. O’Neal, over the years, has been a very generous benefactor of the school, usually requesting as little fanfare as possible. Living in Baton Rouge, I have heard countless anecdotes from former LSU Head Basketball Coach Dale Brown, media personalities, and ordinary Joes in the community about Shaq’s community service, philanthropy, and charity to others, often benefiting everyday people, not high profile causes.

It is often said that the measure of a man’s character is what he does when nobody is looking. At 7’1” and being one of the most famous people on the planet, Shaq had few moments to himself in which nobody was looking. Apparently, in spite of his dominance on the basketball court and his infectious personality that scored him countless endorsements and several movie appearances, Shaq went out of his way to be his best while as few people as possible were looking.


The NBA has lost a true asset. Shaq was a transcendent player with a transcendent personality. As the center position has transitioned into a more defensively oriented role, in which a 20 point performance by any center not named “Howard” is attention grabbing, Shaq may possibly be the last of the great, truly dominant big men in the NBA. On top of losing a great player and character, the league is also losing a good person, an good ambassador, and a good role model. He was certainly one of my favorite players to watch and he will be missed.

The Big Santa 3

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1) Image from bleacherreport.com
2) Image from travelogue101.com
3) Image from bgcmp.org 
* The title, "The Big 401K" was inspired by Sahquille O'Neal's Twitter page and is Shaq's brainchild, not mine.