Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t supposed to be a doctor. Not when he was a fifth grader throwing spit wads, fighting kids, and getting suspended with the warning from his father that he was on track to be “nothing in life.” Not when he was getting mocked with names like “Shaquille Sasquatch” and struggling to pass a government class.
But somewhere between being called a “big dummy” and becoming a four-time NBA champion, Shaq made a decision—he wasn’t just going to be a baller. He was going to be the one in the boardroom who knew exactly what was going on.
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But by 2015, sitting across from journalist Graham Bensinger, Shaq had a very different kind of flex.
“I go to a business meeting… they talk to my guy,” Shaq said. “And I found that to be disrespectful. I’m making the final decision anyway.”
He didn’t like being underestimated—especially not in business.
That’s when O’Neal, already a multimillionaire, went back to school. First, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2000. Then he chased a master’s of business administration from the University of Phoenix. His reason? Simple. He wanted respect.
“Talk to me now about the terms… about the JV… all that stuff. Talk to me about it.”
And then came the PhD.
“My mom comes and she set me up. She’s like, ‘You know we don’t have no doctors in the family.’ So I’m like, okay, I’ll be back.”
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It wasn’t just a flex—though getting called “Dr. O’Neal” during a parent-teacher conference certainly didn’t hurt.
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“I’m looking at my son, and my son’s looking really proud—not only is he proud that I’m the Shaqster… he’s proud his daddy is a doctor.”
Shaq’s educational journey wasn’t some PR stunt. It was a tactical move by a man who once felt too shy to even try, too scared to compete with the “smart kids.” He credits a high school classmate—nicknamed McDougall—for tutoring him and showing him that school wasn’t the enemy.
“That nerd saved my life,” he said. “Now I’m a nerd and a geek.”
He leaned into it. He started sitting in business meetings and setting up what he called the “Shaq Summit,” a yearly gathering of his brand partners. Some companies came ready to walk away—until they saw the vision.
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Now? Shaq’s endorsements, partnerships, and investments rake in more annually than his NBA salary ever did. But it’s never been about the money.
“What motivates me is just having fun,” he said. “Being in partnership with somebody really motivates me.”
He’s even considering law school—not to practice law, but to own the room when he launches his own law firm one day.
“If I just buy a building and put my name on it… they’re gonna talk over my head. But if I also have a law degree? I’m in charge.”
From spitballs to subchapter S-corps, Shaquille O’Neal didn’t just rewrite the script. He rewrote the résumé. And Dr. O’Neal is just getting started.
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