Shaquille O’Neal entered the NBA in 1992 as the number one overall pick out of LSU. As a 7ft 1in, 300-pound rookie, who could move swiftly on the basketball court, he was the consensus first-overall pick before the draft began. Shaq’s son Shaqir O’Neal recently shared a post on Instagram, showing love and appreciation for the moment when his father first signed his $17,400,000 rookie contract 31 years ago.
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An active member of Instagram, Shaqir is often seen posting stories and sharing photos about his Hall-of-Famer dad. Just a few months back, the youngest son of Shaq declared himself to be his parents’ favorite out of all his siblings. When his mother took to Instagram to wish him on his birthday, she called him her favorite youngest son, to which Shaqir nonchalantly replied ‘favorite son‘.
Shaqir O’Neal shares Shaquille O’Neal’s rookie post
Shaqir O’Neal shared a post from ‘damonbomarmedia’ on his Instagram stories, which contained a collage of photos from Shaq’s rookie season. The Big Diesel was selected as the number one overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA draft. A four-time champion, Shaq lived up to the expectations that surrounded his entry into the league. The post shows appreciation to Shaq’s on and off-the-court laurels to celebrate the day he signed his rookie contract.
Shaquille O’Neal played for the Orlando Magic for four seasons after getting drafted by the team. The big man averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in 295 games for the franchise. He also led the franchise to their first ever NBA Finals appearance in 1995 after a strong performance in the regular season. He also led the league in scoring the same season. The Magic, however, fell short against the Houston Rockets in the Finals. Orlando has been to the NBA Finals one more time since then.
The post also touched upon Big Aristotle’s success off the court which has led his net worth to a staggering $400 million. The former NBA star has made smart business decisions to expand his wealth by diversifying his portfolio. Apart from investing in stocks, he has also opened multiple fast-food franchises, invested in tech start-ups, and opened his own private label.
Shaq defends his sons against hecklers
Shaq’s sons – Shareef O’Neal and Shaqir O’Neal, have both taken the path followed by their father. They are both professional basketball players. Shaq’s eldest son Shareef plays for the NBA G League Ignite, while the youngest represents the Texas Southern Tigers. Though the road to success seems to be more difficult for these two kids, they are determined to make it to the NBA.
However, there will always be hecklers along the way to bring you down. Fans used to always compare them to their father every time they missed free throws during their high school days. They also shouted ‘just like ya daddy’. As a protective father, Shaq once decided to respond to the hecklers:
“And tell em you daddy the best to ever do it, but then again u ain’t gotta say nothing. THEY ALREADY KNOW.”
Shaq is not only a great NBA player, but a model family man as well. The way he has parented his six kids is truly exemplary.
