Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal is heading to Australia later this year for a speaking tour.
“American sports legend Shaquille O’Neal is heading to Australia in August on a speaking tour, his first trip here in twenty years,” wrote A. James of Daily Mail Australia.
“The 50 year-old former NBA champ and entrepreneur, who is estimated to be worth US$400 million, says he plans to offer business tips on success and talk about his life and career.”
It sounds like O’Neal is very excited for the tour.
“I can’t wait to see you Aussies Down Under,” he said.
O’Neal is often regarded as one of the most dominant players the NBA has ever seen. He entered the league in 1992 as the Orlando Magic’s top overall pick in that year’s draft. The 7-foot-1 center had a successful four-season run with Orlando before joining the Lakers in 1996.
During that same year, L.A. added the great Kobe Bryant in a move that wound up changing the organization’s history.
Together, O’Neal and Bryant formed one of the greatest NBA duos in league history. They helped the Lakers win three straight titles from 2000 to 2002. O’Neal earned Finals MVP honors in each of those years.
O’Neal arguably had the best stretch of his career playing with the Purple and Gold. In eight seasons with the Lakers, O’Neal averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He was also named league MVP in the 1999-00 season.
However, fans can only wonder what would’ve happened had O’Neal played more seasons with the Lakers. The team traded him to the Miami Heat in 2004. He won another title playing for the Heat.
O’Neal played for a few more teams before calling it quits in 2011. He finished his NBA career with averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per contest.
Even after retiring from the league, O’Neal has remained connected to the NBA. He currently serves as an analyst for “Inside the NBA.”
