Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal was born March 6, 1972, to Joe Toney and Lucille O'Neal. His first two names combined mean "Little Warrior" in Islam. He has two sisters and a brother: Lateefah, Ayesha and Jamal.

By the age of 13, O'Neal was an astonishing 6'6". Basketball scouts took notice of O'Neal at an early age, and he went to play for Louisiana State University. In 1991, O'Neal was named college Player of the Year. He was the first All-American in '91 and '92, and was taken first overall in the 1992 draft by the Orlando Magic.

In his rookie season in the NBA, Shaq became the first rookie in NBA history to win the Player of the Week honors. He was named the 1993 Rookie of the Year, averaging 23.4 points per game. In 1994, Shaq was chosen to play for USA's world championship team, where he won a gold medal. At the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, O'Neal won another gold medal playing for his country.

The mid-'90s brought much success for O'Neal on and off the court. He and the Orlando Magic made it all the way to the NBA finals, only to lose to the Houston Rockets. He released the first of his many rap albums, titled Shaq Diesel, and took his talent to the big-screen in the film Blue Chips, opposite Nick Nolte, and Kazaam.

While neither movie did tremendously well at the box office, Shaq had managed to plant his feet firmly in Hollywood and the athletic world. On July 19, 1996, Shaq and his long-time girlfriend Arnetta became parents with the birth of their daughter Teheara.

After the '95-'96 season, Shaq became a free agent. He decided to leave the Magic in favor of the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and the Lakers. This move to the West Coast was both a financial and competitive decision. The Orlando Magic were not going to be as competitive the following season and the Lakers were trying to reach the pinnacle once more.

O'Neal traded in his familiar Orlando number 32 jersey for a purple and gold number 34 (Magic Johnson's number 32 had been retired.). While the Lakers dominated the regular season with Shaq, they could not make a splash in the playoffs.

Before the 1999-2000 season, the Lakers hired former Bulls coach Phil Jackson in an effort to win the title. The gamble paid off as Jackson's triangle offense revolved around giving O'Neal the ball as often as they could. The Lakers won the NBA championship and O'Neal won the Finals MVP.

The following season saw the emergence of O'Neal's teammate, Kobe Bryant. With Bryant and O'Neal demanding the ball in the offensive scheme, a sort of feud began between the Lakers' two superstars. As a result, the play of the Lakers suffered.

Many wondered whether the Lakers could repeat as champs. But come playoff time, the feuding had subsided, as O'Neal's demand for the ball outweighed Bryant's claims. The end result was another title in 2001.

This season, O'Neal has battled various injuries, but the Lakers remain the team to beat. Shaq is out to prove that he too can win three titles in a row, as Michael did.