Shaquille O’Neal, Who Received $7 Million for Playing a ‘Genie,’ Reveals the ‘Dr. J Movie’ that Changed his Life

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s admiration for Julius Erving, fondly called Dr. J, is no secret. The Big Diesel has time and again stated how the Sixers forward helped him identify his passion for the game of hoops, even placing the latter ahead of Michael Jordan in the GOAT conversation.

An ardent worshipper of Dr. J, Shaq made sure the four-time ABA MVP was present during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2016 as the former Lakers center beamed with excitement, saying the following kind words for his idol.

“AI, I know he’s your guy, Yao he’s your guy, but he’s really my guy,” said the Big Diesel.

“I always dreamed of being as good as Dr. J.”

(Time Stamp: 8:36 min)

Shaq realized his fondness for Dr. J when he stumbled upon the movie titled The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh while browsing through channels on his old television set, marking the first time he saw the ABA legend, making the Diesel identify his calling.

Also read: “My dad surprising me with a Dr. J basketball changed my life”: Shaquille O’Neal talks about his SHAQ-A-CLAUS initiative

Fast forward to today, O’Neal is a legend of the game, having won four championships, three Finals MVPs, and two scoring titles alongside fifteen All-Star and fourteen All-NBA selections. In light of his recently released four-part docuseries ‘SHAQ,’ the seven-foot center revealed how the above Hollywood film starring Dr. J changed his life.

Shaquille O’Neal reveals his life-changing moment having a Dr. J connection.

With fans waiting in high anticipation, HBO released the first episode of ‘SHAQ.’ During a segment, while speaking of getting into a lot of trouble during his childhood, the TNT analyst would reveal how stumbling upon the movie ‘The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh’ forever changed his life.

For those who don’t know, the 1979 sports/fantasy film which deals with an astrologer (Stockard Channing) who helps a water boy (James Bond III) match basketball players to his team’s star (Julius Erving), whose sign is Pisces.

On learning about Shaq’s fandom for Dr. J, his father would have a deal with him that included an opportunity to meet his idol, something the 50-year-old would explain in detail.

“Son, if you pass the next grade, I’ll take you to see Dr. J,” said Shaq while revealing his father’s condition on fulfilling his wish.

Not an A or B-grade guy in studies, the former Lakers center would get a C. Nonetheless, his father would surprise him one day, whisking him away to Madison Square Garden to witness Dr. J perform his routine rack attacks.

Shaquille O’Neal’s love for cinema had him play a ‘Genie’ in the movie Kazaam.

It’s no secret that Shaq is a man of many talents, donning the hats of an NBA legend, Television analyst, Investor, Actor, and Philanthropist.

However, the $400 million net worth athlete’s stint with movies didn’t go as planned. Post-making his debut in Blue Chips (1994), the former seven-foot center would star in the highly anticipated movie Kazaam, playing the role of Genie.

One of the reasons behind signing the film was a healthy paycheck of $7 million, something Shaq would provide insight on during a 2012 GQ interview, ”

“I was a medium-level juvenile delinquent from Newark who always dreamed about doing a movie. Someone said, ‘Hey, here’s $7 million, come in and do this genie movie.’ What am I going to say, no? So, I did it.”

Unfortunately, the film was not only panned by the critics but also turned out to be a box-office dud. Nevertheless, Shaq couldn’t keep himself away from the camera for too long, often appearing in music videos, tv shows, and feature films.

Also read: $50M Worth Julius Erving Once Had to Auction His Championship Rings and MVP Awards For a $200,000 Debt