shaquille o’neal
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In the Midst of Their Feud, Shaquille O'Neal Once Offered a Teammate $10,000 to Beat Kobe Bryant's Ass: 'I Couldn’t Believe It'
For years, the feud between frenemies Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal dominated headlines, and for those interested in knowing just how nasty that beef was, former teammate Isaiah Rider has the scoop. On a recent episode of the All the Smoke podcast, hosted by NBA alumni Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, the former NBA Slam…
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'When Kobe Bryant Died, a Piece of Me Died': Kobe, Gianna Bryant Remembered During Beautiful Celebration of Life in Los Angeles
Kobe Bryant was supposed to be invincible. For 20 seasons, he terrorized the NBA, preying on double teams and defensive lapses with an unmatched tenacity historically reserved for a gladiator’s arena. Yet for the self-appointed Black Mamba, basketball was life or death; it was his life’s blood. And without it, we were convinced that the…
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Shaquille O’Neal Donates New Home to Family of 12-Year-Old Boy Paralyzed in Shooting
In August, 12-year-old Isaiah Payton fell victim to a senseless act of violence. But while a stray bullet has changed his life forever, aid has come from an unlikely source: former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. WXIA-TV reports that Isaiah sustained his injuries while he and a classmate, Damean Spear, were leaving a high school football…
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The 2019 NBA Awards Were a Slam Dunk
As a lifelong hoops head, attending the NBA Awards is a bit of a surreal experience. I ran into Nick Anderson, and the 15-year-old Orlando Magic fan buried deep within me had to resist the urge to um … “talk to him” about missing those four free throws in the 1995 NBA Finals. Speaking with…
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Shaquille O’Neal Wants In On the Sneaker Biz: ‘I Would Love to Purchase Reebok’
Since his retirement from the NBA in 2011, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has been just as dominant as he was on the court. His estimated net worth of over $400 million is a byproduct of a diverse portfolio that includes franchise ownership, investments and lucrative endorsements with companies like Gold Bold and Carnival…
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Tiffany Haddish, Issa Rae Among Star-Studded Lineup of Presenters for 2019 NBA Awards
On Friday, Turner Sports and the NBA announced their star-studded lineup of presenters for the 2019 NBA Awards, which will take place on June 24 on TNT. And it looks like there will be an abundance of black excellence on stage to announce the winners over the course of the evening. Presenters will include the…
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He Doesn’t Do Politics, He Does Fun: Shaquille O’Neal Joins With Embattled Pizza Pusher, Papa John’s, in New Deal
When we got word Papa John’s Pizza got a new (black) face, Shaquille O’Neal, the crew at The Root had a field day. “Ask Shaq about his obsession with being a cop and if he had trouble finding a cap and cane for his soft shoe routine …,” quipped one. “The same Shaq who just…
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How NBA Legends Save Uncle Drew From Fouling Out
Back in the ’90s, former NBA star Larry Johnson transformed himself into an elderly, muumuu-wearing, slam-dunking alter ego named “Grandmama” on behalf of Converse. Johnson’s commercials were quite popular, and the 6-foot-7-inch All-Star even made a guest appearance on Family Matters. But although Johnson’s character was popular, it never reached the status of Kyrie Irving’s…
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I Went Down a Hip-Hop Rabbit Hole and Ended Up at the Fu-Schnickens Like It Was 1992 All Over Again
As it did for so many folks I know, hip-hop changed my life. I don’t mean in the “It saved my life” way, but when I was introduced to hip-hop, I fell hook, line and sinker into the ocean and never came up for air. I was living in Germany in the late ’80s and…