Shaquille O’Neal‘s 2024 is off to a glittering start already. The Hall of Famer shared a glimpse of how he commenced the New Year with a post on Instagram recently. Shaq was seen sporting a grey hoodie in the post, filming himself. However, what caught the attention of fans was his grand, diamond-encrusted Superman chain, shimmering in his chest.
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Shaq posted the reel with the caption:
“The one and only SUPERMAN. “DONT COMPARE ME TO NOBODY, I rather not BE MENTIONED. I’M Offended.”
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The quote in Shaq’s caption is a nod to legendary rapper Jay-Z’s hit song ‘Blow the Whistle.’ The big man also gave a shout-out to Jay-Z after quoting his lyrics, calling him “one of my favorite people.”Like the Los Angeles Lakers legend always professes, the rapper says in the song that he takes offense to being compared to his contemporaries. On the contrary, he should only be compared to icons like Frank Sinatra, James Dean, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix.
Shaq’s sentiments are a bit similar when it comes to the Superman nickname. The four-time NBA Champion loves the iconic superhero and has always identified himself with the DC character’s grandeur. He even has the Superman logo tattooed on his left bicep. Shaq also owns multiple cars, including a $95,000 Cadillac Escalade, a $110,000 Hummer H2, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and a $140,000 Range Rover bearing the Superman logo. His latest iced out bling is just another addition to the dazzling collection.
Shaq has been very protective of his image as the NBA’s Superman. So when Dwight Howard donned a Superman shirt and a red cape in the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest, the Lakers icon was irked. The big man even confronted his NBA on TNT co-host Kenny Smith on national TV in 2022 for calling Howard ‘Superman’.
LeBron James once confirmed as well that O’Neal was bothered by Howard being anointed with the gimmick, saying, “That’s definitely his nickname, and the fact that everybody kind of gave Dwight his name kind of bothers him a little bit.” During a 2011 press conference announcing his retirement from the NBA, O’Neal handed out shirts that read, “The Real Superman.” In the book Shaq Uncut: My Story, he even accused Howard of stealing his gimmick,
“I don’t like people who lack originality. The whole Superman thing doesn’t work for me… It’s kind of weird how he’s handled his career. He wants to be Superman…But that’s a mistake. He’s Dwight Howard. He’s not Shaq. Be your own man. Create your own brand.”
As Howard’s career faded in the mid-2010s, fans and media stopped associating the Superman moniker with the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year. However, he brought it back for one night during the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest with a slight twist. Instead of the iconic ‘S’ symbol, his t-shirt bore the number 24 time as a tribute to Kobe Bryant, who had passed away weeks earlier.
Shaq is also pretty protective of his ‘Most Dominant Player Ever’ title. He has admitted multiple times that he’s not interested in adding himself to the GOAT conversation. But he has qualms about people calling anyone other than him the ‘most dominant ever’. However, Shaq has made room for Wilt Chamberlain to share the title, only because he didn’t surpass the two-time NBA Champion in scoring.
Jay-Z and Shaquille O’Neal’s friendship
Shaquille O’Neal is a man of many talents. Apart from being one of the most dominant players in basketball history, he also is a DJ and a rapper. His first rap album, Shaq Diesel, was released in 1993 and sold over one million copies. In his biography Shaq Uncut: My Story, O’Neal revealed how his success made every rapper envious, except Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls. He wrote:
“The first time around everyone wanted to record something with me. Now all of a sudden they’re calling up and saying they’ll do it but they want $200,000. There were two guys who weren’t like that. Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z couldn’t have been nicer. They did it for free. They told me, “Man, I love your work. You are a real rapper.’”
Earning the approval of two of the most successful rap artists in the genre’s history boosted his credibility. Jay-Z also recorded a song called “No Love Lost” for O’Neal’s third album, “You Can’t Stop the Reign.” However, the song was never released. On an appearance on the Drink Champs podcast, he explained why:
“People didn’t clear it, but I didn’t take it personal.“
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O’Neal rap career took a backseat after the 90s, however, his DJing career has taken off. He often shares clips of him playing at festivals in front of sold-out crowds. The five-time NBA champion is inarguably one of the most entertaining athletes alive. From his business acumen to his life as a music artist, few athletes can claim to live a life as fascinating as Shaquille O’Neal.
