In 1992, Shaquille O’Neal decided to leave Louisiana State University a year early and declared for the NBA Draft. The decision was in line with most NBA players who opt for a college stint. But unlike most players who leave college early to enter the Draft, Shaq finished the remainder of his college course in 2000 and graduated with a degree in general studies.
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This was the same year that he won his maiden NBA MVP award, his first NBA title with the Lakers, and the first of his three NBA Finals MVP awards. Even though this was a move intended to please his mother, Dr. Lucille O’Neal, the big man has always seen education as a way to empower himself in a sophisticated world that often looked down on athletes for their (lack of) intelligence.
Before O’Neal’s graduation ceremony, he told reporters:
“I could be anything I want — I could take your job, I could be a lawyer. There’s real life and there’s fairy tale life. This is real life.”
Shaq wasn’t entirely joking about his desire to get a law degree. In an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2015, he spoke about his desire to start a law firm. Shaq said:
“It’s a lot of great lawyers here in Orlando. See what I’m good at, I’m the Black Jerry West. I could put a hell of a team together. So my goal is to just get these lawyers. I got their own little law firm, put them together, and we make a hell of a partnership.”
However, Shaq claimed that it will be difficult for him to manage a firm of lawyers if he didn’t have a law degree and didn’t understand the business. “So, I’m thinking about law school. Not that I want to practice law, just want to have a law firm,” he added.
O’Neal added that he wanted to be the new Johnnie Cochran. Cochran was the infamous celebrity lawyer who defended O.J. Simpson in the double homicide trial dubbed ‘The Trial of the Century.’
Even though there’s been no updates on Shaq’s law school journey, it will be foolish to put anything past the big man. Shaq once went ahead and completed his MBA because he didn’t like businesspeople snubbing him and talking to his agents during meetings. He understands the importance of knowing a business in order to run it and garner respect among his peers. Therefore, Shaq would probably get a law degree if he wants to go through with his law firm aspirations.
Shaquille O’Neal’s doctoral degree and other ventures
In the nine years since the Bensinger interview, Shaq has been busy building his investment portfolio. He owns a slew of outlets of massive food chains. These include Krispy Kreme, Papa John’s, Auntie Anne’s, Five Guys, and his self-made Big Chicken brand. He also owns multiple 24-hour Fitness centers and car washes. The Lakers legend’s also a stockholder in Apple, Google, Lyft, Vitaminwater, Ring, Beachbody, Forever 21, JC Penney, Reebok, NRG eSports, and Pepsi, to name a few.
O’Neal’s incredible investment portfolio has seen him amass a staggering net worth of over $400 million. A law firm could be on the way soon.
Shaquille O’Neal ranks eighth in points and 15th in rebounds in NBA history. He has won four NBA titles and is one of only five players with at least three Finals MVP awards. He is a successful musician as well and has sold over 1.5 million albums. However, of all his unfathomable achievements in numerous fields, O’Neal ranks earning a doctorate degree as his best accomplishment.
In 2012, one year after retiring from the NBA, Shaq earned his doctoral degree in organizational learning and leadership with a specialization in human resource development from Barry University in Miami, Florida. He spoke to the Miami Herald after receiving the degree and said:
“Everyone thinks this is honorary. But this is not honorary. I put in four and a half hard years staying up late at night, studying, reading, rewriting papers Dr. Kopp marked up. The work was very rigorous, but very enjoyable.”
O’Neal revealed that Dr. David Kopp, Senior Director at Barry University, did not give him a pass because he was a world-famous athlete. He said:
“I remember I was tired, having one of those days. I did a half-ass paper and got a C. Dr. Kopp was like, ‘What is this?’ And I said, ‘It’s a C, a C is good.’ He said, ‘C is not good.’ I redid it and ended up with an A.”
O’Neal worked arduously to earn his doctoral degree. And since he has earned the right, he prefers being called Dr. Shaquille O’Neal.
