In Newark, N.J., Lucille O'Neal gives birth to seven-pound, 11-ounce Shaquille
Rashaun O'Neal (his first and middle name mean "Little Warrior" in
Arabic). Lucille isn't married at the time to Shaquille's father, Philip
Harrison, a municipal employee, so Shaq takes his mother's last name. Lucille
and Philip would marry two years later. Shaquille's younger siblings are
Lateefah, Ayesha and
Jamal.
1974
Harrison joins the army, beginning a series of moves for Shaq and his family.
O'Neal bounces around New Jersey before moving to Fort Stewart, Georgia at age
10. By this time, being an army brat takes its toll on Shaquille. In his 1993
autobiography, Shaq Attack, he writes, "A pattern had been
established. I'd come into a new place, I'd get teased about my name (sometimes
they'd call me Sha-Queer) or my size and how I must've flunked a couple grades,
and I'd bash somebody in the face ... But I wasn't mean. I was a follower, doing
things just because they seemed to be
cool."
1979
At the age of seven, Shaq begins to play basketball. His dad is his first
coach
1984
O'Neal and his family relocate once again, this time to West Germany. Shaq is
not in favor of the move. Once overseas, he continues to act out and rebel
(getting in fights, hitting teachers, breaking into cars, etc.) in hopes that
he'd be sent back to the States. However, Harrison puts an end to that dream,
telling Shaquille, "Look, son, no matter what you do, I'm not letting them
send you back. And if you don't listen to me I'm going to beat your butt. Every
... single ... day." The speech is a key factor in Shaq getting his act
together. O'Neal also credits his participation sports for helping him shape
up.
1985
At a military base in Wildflecken, West Germany, LSU basketball coach Dale Brown
gives a clinic. He spots Shaquille and asks, "Where are you from
soldier?" "I'm not a soldier," replied O'Neal, then 6-foot-6.
"I'm 13-years-old." Brown immediately begins recruiting
Shaq.
April
1987
Harrison is transferred back to the States and the family moves to San Antonio.
O'Neal enters Cole High School for his junior
year.
November
1988
Brown's recruiting pays off as Shaq commits to Louisiana State University.
O'Neal had considered North Carolina, N.C. State, Illinois and Arizona before
choosing LSU. "I looked at [the SEC] as a big, tough, roughneck, country
boy conference, not like the ACC which was kind of the pretty, rich-boy
conference," O'Neal says in his
book.
Spring
1989
Shaquille graduates from Cole High School having led the basketball team to a
68-1 record over his two seasons. In his senior year, the Cougars go 36-0 and
win the state championship. In his two years at Cole, O'Neal averages 32.1
points, 22 rebounds and eight assists per
game.
March
1990
As a freshman, Shaq is the third option on offense for the Tigers behind Chris
Jackson and Stanley Roberts. Consequently, O'Neal finishes the season averaging
just 13.9 points per game. However, his 12 rebounds per game are tops in the
SEC.
July
1990
At the U.S. Olympic Festival in Minneapolis, Dale Brown coaches the South squad.
He asks O'Neal to play and the big man obliges by dominating the tournament. In
four games, Shaq totals 98 points, 55 rebounds and 27 blocks to win MVP honors.
December 18,
1990
Shaq sets his single-game collegiate high in scoring with 53 points against
Arkansas
State.
March
1991
O'Neal becomes the first player ever to lead the SEC simultaneously in scoring
(27.6 points per game), rebounding (14.7 pg), field goal percentage (62.8%) and
blocked shots (140). His per-game rebounding average tops all Division I
players, and he is voted a consensus first-team All America as he helps the
Tigers to a 20-0 record and the SEC
championship.
March 29,
1991
More accolades for a dominating season: Shaq becomes just the fourth sophomore
ever to win the Associated Press Player of the Year
award.
May 21,
1991
O'Neal becomes the first player from LSU to ever be named Southeastern
Conference Athlete of the Year. He would go on to win the award in 1992 as
well.
March
1992
Another impressive season for Shaq. He tops the SEC in rebounding (14.0 per
game), field goal percentage (61.5%), blocked shots (157) and is second in
scoring (24.1 pg). For the third consecutive year, he sets the conference record
for blocked shots in a single-season -- 115 in '90, 140 in '91, 157 in
'92
April 3,
1992
Not wanting to put his pro basketball career in jeopardy by risking injury,
O'Neal forgoes his senior season and declares himself eligible for the NBA
draft. He finishes his three-year career at LSU with per-game averages of 21.6
points 13.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocked
shots.
June 24,
1992
The 7-foot-1, 303-pound Shaq is selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in
the 1992 NBA Draft. Shortly thereafter, he signs a seven-year, $41 million
contract.
Summer
1992
Before taking his first steps onto the court as a pro, O'Neal is already one of
the top pitchmen in sports thanks to lucrative endorsement deals with Reebok and
Pepsi.
November 6,
1992
A solid NBA debut at the Orlando Arena for Shaq: He scores 12 points, pulls down
18 rebounds and blocks three shots in the Magic's 110-100 win over
Miami.
November 16, 1992
It doesn't take long for O'Neal to establish his first NBA record. After
averaging 25.8 points per game and 16.4 rebounds, Shaq is named NBA Player of
the Week. It's the first time in league history that a rookie wins the award
following his debut
week.
February 7,
1993
Shaquille makes his physical prowess felt: After throwing down a ferocious dunk
against the Phoenix Suns, he hangs on the rim, pulling the backboard forward
thus causing the back end of the base to come off the ground and the collapsible
basket to fold into its storage position. The game is delayed for 35 minutes.
"If you think about doing something like that, it won't happen,"
O'Neal said following the
incident.
February 21,
1993
O'Neal becomes the first rookie to start in the NBA All-Star Game since Michael
Jordan in 1985, and scores 14
points.
March 30,
1993
Against the Detroit Pistons, Shaq mixes it up with Bad Boys Bill Laimbeer and
Alvin Robertson. Tiring of Laimbeer's bear-hug defensive tactics, O'Neal warns
him to cut it out. Robertson jumps between the two, grabs Shaq and refers to him
as "rookie," a comment O'Neal interprets as disrespectful. Fed up,
Shaq takes a swing at the 6-foot-2 guard and draws the first ejection of his
career.
