Shaquille O’Neil, better known as Shaq, is by far one of the biggest NBA superstars of all time, not just because of his basketball skills, but also because of his larger-than-life personality off the court as well. You know, it’s a common misconception that folks as tall as Shaq are mean, moody, and otherwise dull individuals used to “looking down” on others both figuratively and literally. But while being very tall can give folks a distorted ego, Shaq seems to have found a way to maintain his sense of humility and humor. While he’s worth an estimated $400 million, Shaq and his family grew up in a poor neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey.
As a youth, Shaq admits that he used to get into a lot of trouble, as his neighborhood was infested with lots of crime and violence. He credits his father for using what many would easily consider child abuse to keep him in line, stating that he would be in jail today if it wasn’t for his dad’s extreme intervention. By the time he was ten years old, Shaq had already grown to 6’4. His father was in the military, and when he was a teen, Shaq attended high school in Germany, where he was cut from the basketball team because he wasn’t very good at the time. It’s said that his coach never even bothered learning his name when he cut Shaq from the team! Today, Shaq’s been happily retired from the NBA since 2011 and is still having a blast. In 2016, he appeared on an episode of Lip Sync Battle, where he went head to head with Aisha Tyler.
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In the video, Shaq came out and electrified the crowd with a thrilling performance of “Maniac” by Michael Sembello from the 1983 classic film “Flashdance.” Now, keep in mind that Shaq was around 44 or 45 when he gave this performance. But, even after years of grueling basketball playing not to mention multiple injuries and impairments, he’s moving better than folks half his age!
Watch this hysterical clip of Shaq dancing like a maniac in the video below.
