Entrepreneur, podcast host, and basketball great Shaquille O’Neal tells PEOPLE he’s “just happy” right now, despite his repeated public expressions of regret about “mistakes” in his personal life.
O’Neal, who turned 52 on March 6, celebrated in Sin City. “I’m just happy to be working, happy to have friends, and happy to be able to help out people in need,” he adds.
“My birthday is every day. My birthday is also today. “So, I’m just happy,” he replies with a giggle when asked about his celebration of another week around the sun last week.
According to him, “Every day is really my birthday, but to answer the question, I had a show in Vegas, and there were about 50,000 people there,” referring to the live set of his musical alter ego DJ Diesel.
After leaving the NBA in 2011, O’Neal continued to be a beloved figure in the sport through his work as a co-host on TNT’s Inside the NBA and other relationships in the entertainment and sports industries.
O’Neal attributes his varied career success to the fact that he “not pay attention to feedback” the most of the time, which allows him to avoid the scrutiny and criticism that come with being a celebrity.When it comes to myself, I am not serious. When he hears anything completely out of the ordinary, he immediately begins to laugh, he says. You gotta laugh it off since there isn’t much you can do. “I don’t feel the need to pretend to be someone I’m not,” O’Neal says.”I fumble sometimes,” he says. However, there are laws by which I live. Politeness, respect, and authenticity are key. I am that.O’Neal is excited to combine basketball with his wise words this month during the March Madness Tournament thanks to his collaboration with Home Depot.
I аm hаving а blаst wоrking оn this prоject; it’s аdоrаble. Tips frоm the Tооl Shаq is the nаme оf it, аccоrding tо о’Neаl. Cоmmencing оn Mаrch 17, the Hоme Depоt website will hоst а new cоntent series thаt feаtures а weаlth оf prоject guides, step-by-step videоs, аnd “Tips frоm the Tооl Shаq” аs pаrt оf the relаtiоnship.
After being the first Orlando Magic player to have a jersey number retired, O’Neal made history in January. O’Neal was a four-year Magic player who led the franchise to the NBA Finals in 1995–1996 and was named Rookie of the Year in 1993.
In a pre-ceremony interview with PEOPLE, the retired athlete described being “sad” about the Magic’s acknowledgment.I will explain to you why it saddens me. O’Neal revealed that his stepfather Phillip Harrison, who had been ill for some time, died in September 2013 after “about nine or ten years ago” (following a string of health problems). “Since my mom will be in attendance, I guess they’ll get more out of this than I do.”
He looks back on his tenure with the squad and adds, “It was a great four years, so I’m happy.”.
The NBа Hаll оf Fаme аccepted о’Neаl’s nоminаtiоn in 2016.
In 2013, the Lakers retired his jersey, and in 2016, the Heat did the same. O’Neal was a 15-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Finals MVP. As reported by NBC Los Angeles, he has joined an exclusive club—the only one of its kind in NBA history—in having his jersey retired by three different clubs. The second one is Wilt Chamberlain, who is a Hall of Famer.
