In fittingly memorable fashion, Shaquille O’Neal broke the news of his retirement himself, tweeting a 16-second video (with hashtag #ShaqRetires). The best of what we’ll also never forget about him:
5. Power » Enough with breakaway rims; Shaq’s best dunks sent tremors through entire basketball arenas. He pulled down stanchions in New Jersey and Phoenix.
4. Free throws » His fingertip shot puts were horrendous and off-target more than 5,000 times in his career, inspiring Hack-a-Shaq tactics that became part of the game plan for every opposing team.
3. Personality » The rap albums and acting were enthusiastic mistakes — aside from the freestyle diss of Kobe Bryant in 2008. Reality TV worked better, but the spontaneous has always been Shaq’s forte: In October, he spent an hour seated in Harvard Square pretending to be a statue.
2. Quotes » “My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer. Well, there is an answer, but by the time you figure it out, I got 40 points, 10 rebounds, and then we’re planning for the parade.” “I am Superman. And the only thing that can kill Superman is Kryptonite. And Kryptonite doesn’t exist.” “If you go 72-11 and don’t win [the championship], it doesn’t mean anything. Actually it does. It means you’ve cheated and played an extra regular-season game.”
1. Nicknames » Diesel, M.D.E. (Most Dominant Ever), Wilt Chamberneezy, The Big Deporter, The Big Aristotle, The Big Sidekick, Shaqtus, The Big Stock Exchange, The Big IPO, The Big Havlicek, The Big Felon, The Almighty Conceitedness, The Big Shamrock. “If I were a painter, you’d be calling me Shaqcasso.” Shaq’s 19 years were certainly a work of art.
