“They think I’m like this dumb jock… It would just drive me crazy” - Shaquille O’Neal says he pursued an MBA because he always wanted to be in charge
Shaquille O’Neal is much more than just an NBA legend. Despite being successful in basketball, O'Neal knew that he needed to find other avenues once he retired, which is why he focused on education as well. In a recent interview, the Hall of Famer revealed what pushed him to earn a master's degree.
In his interview with "Sunrise," O'Neal talked about his education and what pushed him to earn a degree.
"The reason why I did that is because I always like to be in charge, but I let other people speak for me, my agents. So when I go to meetings and first they see me and they go, 'Hey Shaq, how you doing?' And they will always turn like I'm not there," O'Neal said.
"So I'm like, 'Okay they think I'm this dumb jock who has no inclination on what business is.' It would just drive me crazy."
Shaquille O’Neal went on to earn a Master of Business Administration, which turned out to be a great move.
In 2022, 11 years after his retirement, Shaquille O’Neal's net worth is $400 million. He's a very successful businessman and also a popular DJ.
Shaquille O’Neal's education
Shaquille O’Neal studied business at LSU. However, he did not earn his bachelor's as he joined the NBA one year before completing his degree. O'Neal was 20 years old when he was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992.
Despite his impressive career, O'Neal promised his mother that he would earn a degree. He fulfilled his promise in 2000 by earning a bachelor's degree in general studies.
Upon completing his degree, Shaq's jersey was also retired by the university. The big man became the third NBA player to have their number retired by LSU. The first two were Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich.
Shaquille O’Neal's education did not stop with his bachelor's degree. He earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2005.
At the time, O'Neal was still a dominant player who had just finished his first season with the Miami Heat. However, he knew that he would retire one day, which is exactly what he pointed out during his acceptance speech.
“It’s just something to have on my resume when I go back into reality," O'Neal said during his graduation. "Someday, I might have to put down a basketball and have a regular 9-to-5 like everybody else.”
Before the Heat, Shaquille O’Neal played for the Los Angeles Lakers and attended classes several days a week at an LA campus. However, he did not let his trade to Miami ruin his plans as he attended online classes in pursuit of another degree.
Popular as the Superman and The Big Aristotle, Shaquille O’Neal is not just huge, quick and powerful but is also a man with brains, the only NBA player to graduate as an MBA. https://t.co/06eVyxbI7j
Fortunately, it all paid off as Shaq earned a degree that helped him become a successful businessman.
Shortly after his NBA career, he received his Ed.D. degree in Human Resource Development from Barry University, adding to his impressive resume.