Shaquille O'Neal

At 52 years old, Shaquille O'Neal has this physical status:

Shaquille Rashaun "Shaq" O'Neal (sheil): born March 6, 1972) is a retired American basketball player who works as a sports consultant on the television show Inside the NBA.

He is regarded as one of the best players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history.

He was one of the world's tallest and heaviest players at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall (425 kg) and 147 kg).

Over his 19-year career, O'Neal played for six clubs. O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft following his time at Louisiana State University.

He made a name for himself in the league by winning Rookie of the Year in 1992-1993 and leading his team to the 1995 NBA Finals.

O'Neal has signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers after four years with the Magic.

In 2000, 2001, and 2002, they captured three consecutive titles.

O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, his fourth NBA championship appearance followed in 2006, amid rumors surrounding O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

He was traded to the Phoenix Suns midway through the 2007–2008 season.

O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009-2010 after a season-and-a-half with the Suns.

O'Neal spent time with the Boston Celtics in the 2010–2011 season, 15 All-Star game picks, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team picks, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections were among O'Neal's individual accolades.

Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1998, one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP, and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and 1998.

He has his eighth all-time record in points scored, 6th in field goals, 15th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks.

O'Neal has also ranked third in field goal percentages (58.2%), owing to his ability to dunk the basketball.

In 2016, O'Neal was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going platinum.

O'Neal, also a music producer and tour DJ known as DIESEL, is a member of the New York City DIESEL group.

He has appeared in many films and appeared in his own reality shows, Shaq's Big Challenge and Shaq Vs.

Shaq has hosted The Big Podcast.

He is also the general manager of Kings Guard Gaming of the NBA 2K League.

Early life

Lucille O'Neal and Joe Toney, who played high school basketball (he was an All-State guard) and was given a basketball scholarship to attend Seton Hall, was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey. When O'Neal was an infant, Toney struggled with heroin use and was banned for opioid use. He did not return to O'Neal's life after being released, but rather decided to relinquish his parental rights to O'Neal's Jamaican stepfather, Phillip Arthur Harrison, a career Army sergeant. O'Neal was estranged from his biological father for decades, and O'Neal had not spoken to Toney or expressed an interest in establishing a friendship. In the song "Biological Didn't Bother," O'Neal expressed his disdain for Toney, dismissing him with the words "Phil is my father." However, O'Neal's feelings toward Toney mellowed in the years after Harrison's death in 2013, and the two friends met in March 2016, with O'Neal saying, "I don't hate you." I had a fruitful life. I had Phil.

O'Neal came from a wealthy family. He had been 6 ft. (1.85 m) and 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall, respectively, and by age 13, O'Neal was already 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high. He credited the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Newark with giving him a safe place to play and keeping him off the streets. "It gave me something to do," he said. "I'd just go there to shoot." I didn't even play on a squad." The family departed Newark after his stepfather's service in the military, heading to German and Texas military bases.

O'Neal's family migrated to San Antonio, Texas, after returning from Germany. By age 16, O'Neal had grown to 6 feet (10.08 m) and was playing basketball at Robert G. Cole High School. During his senior year, he led his team to a 68-1 record over two years and helped the team win the state championship. His 791 rebounds during the 1989 season set a new state record for a player of any class. O'Neal's ability to make hook shots earned him comparisons to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, prompting him to wear the same jersey number as Abdul-Jabbar, No. 33. However, his high school squad did not have a 33 jersey, so O'Neal opted to wear No. About 32 people before college, 32 years old.

Personal life

O'Neal was raised by a Baptist mother and a Muslim stepfather. Both Robin Wright's book Rock the Casbah and the Los Angeles Times have identified O'Neal as a Muslim. "I'm Muslim, I'm Jewish, I'm Buddhist, I'm Buddhist, I'm Muslim, and I'm Buddhist, I'm all about it," O'Neal has said.

On December 26, 2002, O'Neal married Shaunie Nelson. Shareef (b. January 11, 2000), Amirah (b. November 13, 2001), Shaqir (b. April 19, 2003), and Me'arah (b.) are among the four children. This entry was published on May 1, 2006. Nelson also has a son named Myles from a previous relationship. Taahirah O'Neal (b. July 19, 1996), who was in a former friendship with his ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh, is O'Neal's.

In a Miami-Dade Circuit court hearing on September 4, 2007, O'Neal applied for divorce from Shaunie. The couple had gotten back together and that the divorce had been cancelled later, according to Shaunie. Shaunie, on the other hand, filed a vow to divorce on November 10, 2009, citing irreconcilable inconsistency.

Shareef appeared in high school basketball highlights as a 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) freshman power forward, and was described as having a "polar opposite playing style to his father" due to his more athletic build and improved shooting range. Shareef played for the UCLA Bruins in college before transferring to LSU.

Nicole "Hoopz" Alexander, a reality television star, first appeared on O'Neal in summer 2010. The couple married at O'Neal's home in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and then split in August 2012.

In early 2014, O'Neal started dating Laticia Rolle, a model who hails from Gardner, Massachusetts. They then split in March 2018.

In June 2005, when Hall of Fame center George Mikan died, O'Neal, who considered Mikan to be a big influence, extended an invitation to his family to cover all of the funeral expenses, which they accepted.

O'Neal is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

O'Neal is a member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2009. O'Neal became a Freemason in 2011, becoming a member of Widow's Son Lodge No. 1. 28 people were arrested in Boston on Sunday. Prince Hall Freemason O'Neal is a prince who has the nickname O'Neal.

O'Neal was named one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans on January 31, 2012.

Philip Arthur Harrison, O'Neal's stepfather, died of a heart attack on September 10, 2013.

O'Neal is a member of the New Jersey Devils, a New Jersey Devils franchise who play in his hometown of Newark, and has appeared at numerous games over the years. For a game between the Devils and the Florida Panthers on January 11, 2014, O'Neal played the ceremonial first puck and drove a Zamboni. O'Neal is also a fan of England football team Northampton Town, and has shared videos of support on their official YouTube page.

In 2016, O'Neal purchased a 14.3-acre, two-house home in McDonough, Georgia, for $1.15 million. It is about 30 miles southeast of Atlanta.

In his 2013 re-election bid, O'Neal endorsed Republican New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who appeared in a television commercial. Joe Biden, the then-presidential candidate, ran for the first time in the 2020 presidential election, and he appeared in a virtual rally for the second time.

After a mother complained about how expensive his shoes were, O'Neal turned down a $40 million contract with Reebok.

Source

College career

O'Neal studied business at Louisiana State University after graduating from high school (LSU). Dale Brown had first met Tigers coach Dale Brown in Europe when O'Neal's stepfather was stationed on a US Army base in Wildflecken, West Germany, when O'Neal's stepfather was stationed on a US Army base in Wildflecken, West Germany. O'Neal, a two-time SEC Player of the Year, was named National Basketball Player of the Year by AP and UPI in 1991 while playing for Brown at Brown University. O'Neal left LSU early to play basketball, but he continued his education even after becoming a professional athlete. He was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame. In front of the LSU Basketball Practice Facility, a 900-pound (410 kg) bronze statue of O'Neal is on display.

Professional career

With the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic drafted O'Neal as the 1st overall pick. He spent time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson in the summer before moving to Orlando. O'Neal wore number 32 because Terry Catledge refused to relinquish the 33 jersey. In his first week in the NBA, O'Neal was named Player of the Week, becoming the first player to do so. O'Neal shot 53.2 percent, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game on his rookie season. He was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year, and was the first rookie to be named an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985. The Magicians won 20 more games than the previous season, but the Indiana Pacers failed to qualify for the playoffs. "We've got [head coach] Matty [Guokas] out of here and bring in [assistant] Brian [Hill] on more than one occasion during the year.

Hill was the coach for O'Neal's second season, 1993–1994, and Guokas was reassigned to the front office. While leading the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%, O'Neal raised his scoring average to 29.4 points (second in the league to David Robinson). O'Neal recorded his first triple-double of his career against the New Jersey Nets on November 20, 1993, scoring 24 points to go along with career highs of 28 rebounds and 15 blocks. He was chosen into the All-Star game and also made the All-NBA 3rd Team. The Magicians, who were drafted in Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, finished with a record of 50-32 and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. As the Pacers crushed the Magic, O'Neal averaged 20.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in his first playoff series.

He led the NBA in scoring with a 29.3 points average in 1993-1995, while finishing second in MVP voting to David Robinson and his third straight All-Star Game alongside Hardaway in O'Neal's third season. They were one of the league's best duos and helped Orlando win their 57-25 record and the Atlantic Division crown. In the 1995 NBA Playoffs, the Magic won their first-ever playoff series against the Boston Celtics. The Chicago Bulls were then defeated in the conference semifinals by defeating the Chicago Bulls. The Magicians advanced to the NBA Finals after defeating Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers, versus the defending NBA champion Houston Rockets. In his first Finals appearance, O'Neal had a solid shot on 59.5% shooting, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Despite this, the Rockets, led by future Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, swept the series in four games.

O'Neal was out for a large portion of the 1995–96 season, missing 28 games. He averaged 26.6 points and 11 rebounds per game, made the All-NBA 3rd Team, and was in his fourth All-Star Game. Despite O'Neal's absence, the Magic continued to finish second in the Eastern Conference, second to the Chicago Bulls, who finished second with a record 72 victories. In the first two rounds of the 1996 NBA Playoffs, Orlando comfortably defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks; however, the Jordan's Bulls were no match for Jordan's Bulls, who swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After the 1995–96 NBA season, O'Neal became a free agent. O'Neal was selected to the United States Olympic basketball team in 1996 and later part of the 1996 Olympic gold medalist team in Atlanta. When the Olympic basketball team was training in Orlando, the Orlando Sentinel published a survey asking if the Magic should fire Hill if that was one of O'Neal's returning conditions. "No" was answered by 82%. When playing under Hill, O'Neal had a power struggle. "Just didn't care [Hill]," the team's manager said. Another question in the poll was whether O'Neal was worth $115 million in relation to the amount of the Magic's offer; 93% of the responses said no. The Olympic teammates cheered him on about the election. He was also furious that O'Neal was not a good role model for having a child with his longtime girlfriend who had no immediate plans to marry. O'Neal likened his lack of privacy in Orlando to "feeling like a big fish in a dried-up pond." Hardaway later discovered that he regarded himself as the Magician's leader and that he did not want O'Neal to make more money than him.

On the team's first full day at the Olympics in Atlanta, the media announced that O'Neal would play for the Los Angeles Lakers on a seven-year, $121 million contract. O'Neal maintained that he did not choose Los Angeles for the money; instead, he spoke to a few of his company endorsements, saying: "I'm tired of hearing about money, time, money, and love." "I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, and wear Reebok." During the 1996–97 season, the Lakers played 56 games. In his first season with Los Angeles, O'Neal averaged 26.2 points and 12.5 rebounds; however, he missed over 30 games due to injury. The Lakers made the playoffs, but the Utah Jazz had them disqualified in the second round after five games. O'Neal scored 46 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, the most for the Lakers in a playoff game since Jerry West had 53 in 1969. Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls was shoved by O'Neal on December 17, 1996; Rodman's assistant Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan retrained him and prevented more conflict from arising. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, O'Neal was prepared to be banned for attacking Rodman, and O'Neal said, "It's one thing to talk tough and one thing to be tough."

O'Neal's average was 28.3 points and 11.4 rebounds in the ensuing season. He led the league with a 58.4 field goal percentage, his first of five seasons in which he participated. The Lakers finished the season 61-21, first in the Pacific Division, and second seed in the western conference in 1998. The Lakers returned to the Jazz after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics in the first two rounds, this time in a 4–0 sweep.

With the tandem of O'Neal and teen sensation Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' hopes have soared; however, staff changes were a source of instability during the 1998–99 season. Nick Van Exel, a long-serving Laker point guard, was traded to the Denver Nuggets; his former backcourt partner Eddie Jones was shipped with back-up center Elden Campbell for Glen Rice to satisfy a request from O'Neal for a firearms. Del Harris was suspended, and former Lakers forward Kurt Rambis completed the season as head coach. During the lockout-shortened season, the Lakers posted a 31–19 record. Despite qualifying for the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs were swept by the San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson, in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, despite being swept by the San Antonio Spurs. In 1999, the Spurs would win their first NBA championship.

The Lakers hired Phil Jackson as head coach in 1999, well before the 1999-2000 season, and the team's fortunes soon changed. Jackson sparked O'Neal, saying, "the [NBA] MVP award should be named after him after he retired."

O'Neal and Charles Barkley were ejected during a game against the Houston Rockets on November 10, 1999. O'Neal yelled Barkley and O'Neal pushed Barkley, who threw the ball at O'Neal after O'Neal blocked a layup. In a 123-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on March 6, 2000, O'Neal's 28th birthday, he scored a career-high 61 points to go along with 23 rebounds and 3 assists. O'Neal's 61-point game was the first NBA game in which a player has scored 60 or more points without hitting a 3-pointer.

O'Neal was also named the Most Valuable Player in the 1999-2000 regular season, just one vote shy of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Fred Hickman, then of CNN, chose Allen Iverson, then of the Philadelphia 76ers, who would go on to win MVP the following season. O'Neal also won the scoring crown while finishing second in rebounds and third in blocked shots. Jackson's influence helped him make a newfound dedication to defense, resulting in his first All-Defensive Team selection (second team) in 2000.

In the 2001 NBA Finals against the 76ers, O'Neal fouled out in Game 3 against Dikembe Mutombo, the 2000-2001 Defensive Player of the Year. "I didn't think the best defensive player in the game would be flopping like that." According to O'Neal, it's a shame that the referees buy into it. "I wish he'd stand up and play me like a gentleman rather than flopping and screaming every time I back him down."

O'Neal had corrective surgery for a claw toe deformity in the smallest toe of his left foot a month before the 2001–02 season's training camp. To return quicker, he opted against a more involved surgery. He was preparing for the 2001–02 regular season, but the toe bothered him often.

In January 2002, he was involved in a spectacular on-court brawl in a game against the Chicago Bulls. Brad Miller was punched after an intentional foul to prevent a basket, resulting in a brawl among Miller, forward Charles Oakley, and several others. O'Neal was suspended for three games without compensation and fined $160,000. O'Neal averaged 27.2 points and 10.7 rebounds for the season, but below his career high; he was less of a defensive force during the season.

In the 2002 Western Conference finals, Matched up against the Sacramento Kings, O'Neal said, "There is only one way to defeat us." In reference to King's center Vlade Divac's suspected flopping, O'Neal began with c and ended with t." O'Neal referred to Divac as "he" and said he would never exaggerate contact to cause a foul. "I'm a guy with no skills who's been given this position by hard work." O'Neal told friends that he did not want another season of limping and being in constant pain from his big right toe. He had often been out of place when it came to his trademark mobility and explosion. The corrective options ranged from reconstructive surgery to rehabilitation exercises with more shoe inserts and anti-inflammatory drugs. O'Neal was still worried about the long-term harm that his regular use of these drugs could have done. He did not want to rush a decision that could have put his future in jeopardy.

O'Neal and Bryant had a blast with Jackson's triangle offense, winning three straight titles (2000, 2001, and 2002). O'Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals three times and had the highest scoring average for a center in NBA Finals history.

O'Neal was off for the first 12 games of the 2002–03 season as a result of toe surgery. He was trapped with hallux rigidus, which was degenerative arthritis in his toe. He waited the entire summer until just before the surgery began, and he revealed, "I'll get sick on company time, so I'll heal on company time." O'Neal debated whether to perform a more invasive procedure that would have kept him out for another three months, but he declined to pursue the more involved option. The Lakers began the season with an 11-19 record. The Lakers had dropped to the fifth seed and failed to make the Finals in 2003, and they had lost to the fifth seed at the end of the season.

The squad undertook it for the 2003-2004 season as part of a concerted off-season effort to expand its roster. They wanted free-agent services of two prominent actors, forward Karl Malone, and guard Gary Payton, but they were unable to pay either player nearly as much as he could have earned with other teams due to salary cap constraints. O'Neal was instrumental in the recruitment process and personally advised both men not to join the squad, with each offering higher compensation in exchange for a chance to win an NBA championship. O'Neal, a producer from the start of the 2003–04 season, wanted a wage increase on his remaining three years for $30 million. Due to his age, physical fitness, and injuries, the Lakers had hoped that O'Neal would save less money. "Pay me," O'Neal yelled at Lakers owner Jerry Buss during a preseason game. The tension between O'Neal and Bryant had been mounting. In an interview with ESPN journalist Jim Gray, Bryant chastised O'Neal for being out of shape, a bad manager, and making his salary demands over the team's best interest.

In 2004, the Lakers made the playoffs and lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. "Shaq defeated himself against Detroit," Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter said. He was passively playing his way into the world. He had one big game... He's always wanted to be a scorer, but he hasn't had nearly enough focus on defense and rebounding." O'Neal was angered by remarks made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O'Neal's future with the team, as well as the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson at the request of Buss. O'Neal made a remark that implied that the team's decisions were motivated by a desire to appease Bryant to the exclusion of all other issues, and O'Neal requested a trade immediately. In return, Kupchak needed Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, but Mavericks owner Mark Cuban refused to let his 7-footer go. However, Miami showed keen, and the two clubs eventually agreed on a trade. "O'Neal" left because he didn't get what he wanted, triggering a massive pay increase, according to Winter. There was no way that the owner could have a say on him. The franchise owner was held hostage by Shaq's allegations, but the way he went about it didn't please the owner too much."

O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and a potential first-round draft pick (the Lakers used the draft option to select Jordan Farmar in the 2006 draft). O'Neal reverted from (his Lakers jersey) number 34 to number 32, which he had worn while playing for the Magic. O'Neal told the fans that he would bring a championship to Miami when he signed with the Heat. One of the main reasons for his desire to be transferred to Miami was because of their up-and-coming actor Dwyane Wade, to whom he gave the nickname "Flash." The new-look Heat beat expectations, winning for the first time in the Eastern Conference in 2004-05 with 59 victories, with O'Neal on board. He appeared in 73 games, his most since the 2001 season, with 22.9 points per game, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. O'Neal's 12th appearance on the All-NBA 1st Team earned the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award for his March debut. In one of the closest votes in NBA history, O'Neal barely missed the 2004–05 MVP Award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash.

Despite being stumbling over by a deep thigh injury, O'Neal led the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, losing by a slim margin. O'Neal and others later chastised Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy for not getting enough plays for O'Neal. In August 2005, O'Neal and the Heat signed a five-year contract with the Heat for $100 million. Supporters applauded O'Neal's willingness to take what seemed to be a salary cut as well as Heat's decision to secure O'Neal's services for the long term. O'Neal was worth more than $20 million a year, despite the fact that younger players received almost the same income.

O'Neal suffered his right leg in his second game of the 2005–06 season and missed the following 18 games. Following O'Neal's return, Van Gundy resigned for family reasons, and Pat Riley took over head coach duties. Van Gundy was later identified as a "frontrunner" and a "master of terror" by O'Neal, who later described him as a "master of panic." Many commentators believed Heat coach Riley treated O'Neal during the remainder of the season, limiting his minutes to a career low. Riley said doing so would help O'Neal's health and fresher come playoff time. Although O'Neal's averaged career lows (or near-lows) in points, rebounds, and blocks, he said in an interview, "Stats don't matter." Not stats, but wins. I'm happy if I score 0 points and we win. If I hit 50, 60 points, break the records, and we lose, I'm pissy off. 'Cause I knew I did something wrong.' If I win the championship and average 20 points per game, I'll have a nightmare of a season. The Heat used to set only a.500 record without O'Neal in the lineup during the 2005–06 season.

O'Neal had his second triple-double against the Toronto Raptors on April 11, 2006, with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists. O'Neal finished as the league's highest field goal percentage in 2005-2006.

The Heat first faced the younger Chicago Bulls in the 2006 NBA Playoffs, and O'Neal led the Miami Heat to a 2–0 lead in the series. Chicago will respond with two dominating performances at home to tie the series, but Miami will win game 5 at home. In the 6th game, Miami returned to Chicago and ended the series in a dramatic manner, highlighted by O'Neal's return to Chicago, who saw 30 points and 20 rebounds. Miami advanced to New Jersey, where the Heat won a thrilling game 1 victory before the Heat secured a rematch with Detroit. Wade had no answer in the series, though O'Neal had 21 points and 12 rebounds in game 3 and 12 boards in game 4 to help Miami take the 3–2 series lead. The Pistons will win game 5 in Detroit, and Wade will be out early next season, but the Heath kept on to win game 6 with O'Neal's 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocks to help Miami reach their first-ever NBA finals.

The Heat were underdogs against the Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki, and the Mavericks took the first two games at home in dominating fashion. Wade led the Heat and a balanced effort by O'Neal, Antoine Walker, and Jason Williams will win all three of the next games at home, before the franchise and O'Neal's fourth title were played in Dallas. O'Neal did not have to have a dominating sequence to finish with an average of 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds for the series, with Wade carrying the offensive load.

After suffering a knee injury in November that required surgery, O'Neal played 35 games in the 2006–07 season. Jackson, who O'Neal had once referred to his former coach as "Benedict Arnold," after one of those missed games, a Christmas Day match-up against the Lakers. "I've never [coached] that hasn't been a worker," Jackson had said earlier. "I've never [coached] Shaq, [not a student] that hasn't been a coach." During O'Neal's absence, the Heat flopped, but the Heat gained seven of their next eight games. Bad luck, on the other hand, as Wade dislocated his left shoulder, leaving O'Neal as the team's focal point. Critics doubted that O'Neal, who is now in his mid-30s, would carry the team into the playoffs. The Heat went on a winning streak that kept them in contention for a playoff spot, which they finally won against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 5.

The Heat beat the Bulls in the first round of the 2006–07 NBA playoffs, in a rematch of the year previous. The Heath struggled against the Bulls, and although O'Neal put up good numbers, he was not able to control the series. The Bulls won the Heat for the first time in 50 years, becoming the first defending NBA champion to be swept in the first round. It was the first time in 13 years that O'Neal did not progress to the second round. O'Neal's career soared to 25,000 points in 2006-07, the 14th player in NBA history to reach that record. However, it was the first time in O'Neal's career that his scoring average dropped below 20 points per game.

O'Neal's offseason was off to a slow start in the 2007–08 season, with career lows in points, rebound, and blocks. His part in the offense has faded as he attempted only 10 field goals per game rather than his career average of 17. In addition,, O'Neal was plagued by fouls, and during one stretch fouled out of five consecutive games. O'Neal's streak of 14 consecutive All-Star appearances came to an end this season. O'Neal was back in action due to injuries, and the Heat had a 15-game losing streak. Riley faking the injury, according to O'Neal. During a practice in February 2008, O'Neal became enraged with Riley over the coach's order to cancel practice. The two brothers argued face to face, with O'Neal pleading Riley in the chest and Riley slapping his hand away. Riley was notified immediately that he had to leave O'Neal. By the time he left Miami, O'Neal said his friendship with Wade was not "all right," but he did not express regret at Wade for his inability to stand up for him.

Before being traded to the Phoenix Suns, O'Neal played 33 games for the Miami Heat in the 2007–08 season. O'Neal played in all 33 games and averaged 14.2 points per game. O'Neal averaged 12.9 points in his 28 games with the Suns after being traded to Phoenix.

In exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, the Phoenix Suns acquired O'Neal from the league-worst Miami Heat, who had a record at the time of the trade of 9–37. O'Neal made his Suns debut on February 20, 2008 against his former Lakers squad, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. The Lakers defeated the Lakers 130–124. "I will take responsibility for this loss because I wasn't in tune with the boys," O'Neal said in a post-game press conference. "I will get in tune with the guys."

O'Neal averaged 12.9 points and 10.6 rebounds in 28 regular season games, good enough to make the playoffs. One of the reasons for the trade was to keep Tim Duncan healthy in the case of a postseason matchup between the Suns and the San Antonio Spurs, particularly after the Suns' six-game suspension by the Spurs in the 2007 NBA Playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns met the Spurs, but they were then eliminated in five games. O'Neal averaged 15.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

O'Neal preferred the Suns over the Heat. "I love playing for this coach, and I love playing with these guys," O'Neal said. "We have experts who know what to do." No one is urging me to play with [his former Heat teammates] Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I'm now on a team. Riley thought O'Neal was wrong for disparaging his former coworkers. When playing for the Heat, O'Neal expressed an expletive toward Riley, whom he often referred to as the "great Pat Riley." O'Neal credited the Suns' training staff with prolonging his career. His arthritic joint pains were traced to his jump, which would not bend, and he was straining his leg. He was instructed by the trainers to work on his core strength, flexibility, and balance.

O'Neal's 2008–09 season was an improvement over the Suns' first half (41 games) of the season, leading them to a 23-18 record and second place in their division. He and ex-teammate Kobe Bryant returned to the All-Star Game in 2009 and emerged as co-MVPs alongside ex-teammate Kobe Bryant.

O'Neal's 49th career 40-point game was won by the Toronto Raptors 133–113 on February 27, 2009.

O'Neal was defeated by Magic center Dwight Howard, 21–19, in a match against Orlando on March 3, 2009. O'Neal said, referring to Howard's then 23-year-old Howard, "I'm certainly too old to be outscore 18-year-olds." "It's not really my job anymore." The night, O'Neal was double-teamed most of the night. "I like to play people one-on-one." I had to play people one-on-one throughout my entire life. Never had to double or ask for a double. "But it's cool," O'Neal said. O'Neal flopped against Howard during the game. Stan Van Gundy, a Magic coach who had worked with O'Neal with the Heat, was "very sad" because [O'Neal] knows what it's like. Let's stand up and play like men, and I believe our guy did a good job tonight." "Flopping is playing like that throughout your entire career," O'Neal said. I was attempting to get a call and was trying to get a call. It was likely a flop, but flopping is the wrong way to describe it. "Flopping would be a term used to describe his teaching." Since "everyone in the league tries to flop on Shaq and Shaq never flops back," Mark Madsen, a former Lakers teammate of O'Neal's, found it amusing. In a TIME interview in 2006, O'Neal said, "Make a guy have to beat a guy" not flop and get calls, not be courteous to the referees and kiss ass."

On March 6, O'Neal spoke about the Rockets and Yao Ming's upcoming match. "It's not going to be man-on-man," O'Neal says with an incredulous laugh. "They're going to double and triple me as well as everybody else." I rarely get to play [Yao] one-on-one... But when I play him (on defense), it's just going to be me down there. When it's Shaq versus four other guys, don't try to make it a Yao versus Shaq thing."

The 2009 NBA Playoffs marked the first time since O'Neal's rookie season (1992–93) that he did not participate in the playoffs. He was selected as a member of the All-NBA Third Team. The Suns told O'Neal that they may be able to save money.

On June 25, 2009, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, $500,000, and a 2010 second-round draft pick. "My motto is very straightforward: Win a Ring for the King," O'Neal said upon landing in Cleveland, referring to LeBron James. James was the team's leader, and O'Neal deferred to him. When trying to go up for a shot against the Boston Celtics' Glen Davis on February 25, 2010, O'Neal sustained a serious right thumb injury. On March 1, he underwent thumb surgery and returned to action in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round after defeating the Chicago Bulls in the first round. "We were in first place when I was in Cleveland in September 2016." Big Baby [Glen Davis] breaks my hand and I had to wait out five weeks later this year. I came back to the first round of the playoffs, but we lost to Boston in the second round. I was furious. We know for a fact that if I was healthy, we would have gotten it done and won a ring." During the 2009-2010 season, O'Neal averaged career lows in virtually every major statistical segment, playing a much smaller part than in previous years.

After Bryant's comment that he had more calls than O'Neal, Wyc Grousbeck, the Celtics' chief owner, saw a chance to buy O'Neal. Doc Rivers, the Celtics' coach, understood that if O'Neal would not be eligible for preferential treatment, he would not cause any locker room issues like in Los Angeles or Miami. The Celtics reported on August 4, 2010, that they had signed O'Neal. The job was for two years at the veteran minimum wage, earning the total contract value of $2.8 million. O'Neal wanted the full mid-level exception contract, but the Celtics decided against it instead, but Jermaine O'Neal received it. Both the Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks expressed a keen interest in the subject, but O'Neal's salary negotiations had stalled. On August 10, 2010, the Celtics unveiled him, choosing the number 36.

O'Neal said he did not "compete with little guys who run around dominating the ball, throwing up 30 shots a night, like D-Wade, Kobe." "If Tim Duncan makes five rings, it gives some writer the opportunity to say, 'Duncan is the best,' and I can't have one." He denied that he cared whether he volunteered or substituted for the Celtics, but that he was supposed to be part of the second unit. He wanted to start privately, but kept it to himself. Due to a variety of injuries to his right leg, including knee, calf, hip, and Achilles, O'Neal has missed games throughout the season. Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics' center, was released in February partially due to the hopes that O'Neal would return to fill Perkins' role. Perkins missed nearly every game of the year due to injury, and the Celtics were 19–3 in games that O'Neal had played more than 20 minutes. After demanding a cortisone shot, O'Neal returned to his playing time on April 3 after missing 27 games due to his Achilles; he played just five minutes due to a strained right calf. It was the last regular season game he would play this year. The 2011 playoffs were called off by O'Neal in the first round. In the second round, he sisted on more cortisone shots and returned, but the Heathens barred the Celtics from the playoffs.

O'Neal resigned on June 1, 2011 after posting a note on social media. "We did it," O'Neal said on Twitter in a short video. Baby number nineteen years old. I want to thank you so much. That's why I'm the first to tell you. I'm going to get out of here. Love you. I hope to speak with you soon. O'Neal held a press conference at his Orlando home on June 3, 2011 to officially announce his resignation.

National team career

When O'Neal was a student, she was considered for the Dream Team to fill the open position, but it was later handed over to future teammate Christian Laettner. In 1994, his national team's career began, in which he was named MVP of the Tournament. O'Neal averaged 18 points and 8.8 rebounds, leading the Dream Team II to the gold medal with an 8-0 record, but he did not record two double-doubles. He scored more than 20 points in four games. He was the first male player to win a gold medal from the FIBA World Cup before 2010.

He was one of two players (the other being Reggie Miller) from the 1994 roster to be named in the Dream Team III. He stayed with Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson and started three games due to increased star power. With 8 total blocks, he averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. He earned another gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta after his perfect 8-0 record. O'Neal was furious that Lenny Wilkens played Robinson more minutes in the final game; Wilkens had previously announced to O'Neal that this would possibly be Robinson's last Olympics.

He declined to participate in international competition after his 1996 experience. He was dissatisfied with being left out of the 1999 FIBA AmeriCup squad, citing a "lack of compassion" in his decision. He declined to compete in the 2000 Olympics, saying that two gold medals were enough. Also, O'Neal decided not to participate in the 2002 FIBA World Championships. He declined an invitation to participate in the 2004 Olympics, and although he was initially keen on being named on the US preliminary roster from 2006-2008, he ultimately turned down the invitation.

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