At every level of basketball, Shaquille O'Neal dominated. He was the McDonald's All-American Game MVP after his prep career in San Antonio, Texas. With the LSU Tigers, he was a two-time Consensus First-Team All-American selection. The No. 1 overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic won four NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, earned three NBA Finals MVP awards, was a 15-time NBA All-Star, is the only player other than Willis Reed and Michael Jordan to win the NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and NBA Finals MVP in the same season (2000) and of course played alongside the late, great Kobe Bryant. Shaq finished his career playing stints with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
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One of the greatest players in NBA history carried his monumental legacy on the floor into a massive social impact off of it. Shaq the rapper has released four albums and earned his doctorate degree in education. (Yes, he's actually Dr. O'Neal.) "The Big Aristotle" worked as a police officer in various cities, acted in numerous movies, is friends with several celebs, and takes on too many business ventures to count. Most notably, O'Neal is an analyst on the Emmy Award-winning TNT show Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson, Kenny "The Jet" Smith, Charles Barkley, and his old Heat teammate Dwyane Wade.
But alongside the Hall of Famer every step of the way is his family who carries that same passion for life. Who are the family members that keep the 7-foot-1 NBA legend grounded when his long days are done?
Who Is Shaq's Wife?
Shaq's ex-wife Shaunie O'Neal might be an even harder worker than Shaq Daddy himself. The TV personality and entrepreneur works primarily as an executive producer of the reality TV show Basketball Wives, the ninth season of which premiered in February 2021.
The couple were married back on December 26, 2002. at the Beverly Hills Hotel They share four children together, two born before their wedding and two after. They were together for much of the four-time NBA champion's playing career before a brief separation in 2007. However, they filed for divorce in November 2009. The petition from Shaq's lawyer read in part, "The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken."
Shaq's Girlfriends
It's hard to stay away from the NBA player's magnetic personality, and he's had several women in his personal life over the years since his separation from his reality show producer ex-wife.
Nicole "Hoopz" Alexander dated O'Neal from 2010-12. Model Laticia Rolle and O'Neal were linked for nearly four years from 2014-18 before separating. Shaq's most recently been connected with television star and Chicago Fire actress Annie Ilonzeh.
Shaq's Kids
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Who are Shaq's kids? Well, they're busy carving their own legacies with their world-famous father leading the charge.
The oldest is Shareef O'Neal, who currently plays for head coach Will Wade and the LSU Tigers, his father's alma mater. Shareef is 6-foot-10 and was rated as a four-star prospect by every major recruiting service after his high school career in California. He transferred to LSU from UCLA in February 2020 and saw limited action in his sophomore season.
Amirah O'Neal was also a standout high school basketball player at Crossroads School in Santa Monica. "Mimi" was an honorable mention to MaxPreps' 2019 California All-State Girls Basketball Team as a junior. She committed to play for the LSU Tigers women's basketball team during the coronavirus pandemic and transferred to Texas Southern after her freshman year.
Shaqir O'Neal is next, and the Class of 2021 baller was another national prospect. Rated as the 24th-best player in Georgia, O'Neal played for Union Grove High School and was dunking in games at 15 years old. Like his sister, he also plays college basketball at Texas Southern University.
Me'arah O'Neal? She's a sophomore in high school and is already close to throwing down a dunk. Her highlights are already popping up on social media, and she very easily could end up being the best of the bunch.
Shaq, who holds a bachelor's degree in general studies from Louisiana State University, shares another daughter from a previous relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh. Taahirah O'Neal was born in July 1996 and works with charities and philanthropic causes in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her Sociology degree from Oglethorpe University.
Myles O'Neal is not Shaq's biological son, but was born to Shaunie Nelson from a previous relationship. Regardless, Myles maintains a close relationship with Shaq and is building a growing following on social media as a fashion influencer and photographer.
Although the Papa John's spokesperson boasts a net worth of $400 million, he reaffirmed he wants his children to pave their own path and not rely on his money.
Shaq to his kids: “We ain’t rich, I’m rich.”
Teaching them work ethic. 💪
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 27, 2021
"My kids are older now. They're kind of upset with me, not really upset but they don't understand. I tell them all the time, 'We ain't rich. I'm rich," he said on the "Earn Your Leisure" podcast.
Shaq is undoubtedly a big part of the Inside the NBA family. He's an even bigger part of his family at home.
