Shaquille O'Neal performs onstage during the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on TNT at Barker Hangar on June 24, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports)
Shaquille O’Neal is in his own right, one of the best centers of all time as well as one of the most celebrated NBA players in the history of the competition.
The former American basketball superstar was a beloved figure in his career that spanned over nearly two decades, and the adulation that he received nearly all his career resulted in him having plenty of nicknames that his fans referred to him by.
Power and strength personified, Shaq’s prime saw him as a dominant and scary prospect on the basketball court as no other man of his size could move as quick as him. As a result, Shaq was a beloved figure for fans who showered him with nicknames, some of which are catchy to this day.
From Shaq Diesel to Shaq Daddy, from Superman to Shaq Fu, Shaq’s career in the NBA that saw him win four NBA Championship rings and play for six different franchises over 19 years saw him earn plenty of monikers – the best of which we will discuss in this article.
While some of the honorable mentions do boast of a few bangers such as Shaqovic, Manny Shaq-iaou, Mayor McShaq and even Witness Protector (interesting), these are the top 10 nicknames given upon the NBA legend by fans as well as himself.
10. Cake: Shaquille O’Neal sure got a lot of cake be it NBA championships, entrepreneur money or literal cake.
9. M.D.E: A self-proclaimed nickname, M.D.E. stands for Most Dominant Ever. Few can deny that statement.
8. The Big Leprechaun: As far as leprechauns go, Shaq must be the biggest leprechaun ever – but his swiftness on the basketball court in his prime was completely worthy of the moniker.
7. Superman: A self-explanatory nickname. The 7’1” Shaq was as indestructible as Superman himself on his day.
6. The Big Aristotle: Shaq is often considered very wise even to this day, as his entrepreneur knowledge has helped him create a net worth of $400million.
5. The Big Shamrock: A nickname that originated in his days with the Boston Celtics, although it is fair to say that he did not quite bring the luck of the Irish to the Celtics.
4. Wilt Chamberneezy: An ode to one of the best centers of all time in Wilt Chamberlain, a compliment to Shaq in itself.
3. Shaq Diesel: A nickname with its roots in 90’s hip-hop.
2. Shaq Fu: Another nickname originating from 90’s hip-hop, it was earned when Shaq performed with the Fu Schickens on the Arsenio Hall Show.
1. Shaq Daddy: A nickname that exhibits his aura as one of the dominant guys in the industry and an ode to Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs one of the richest rappers in the industry for two decades, much like Shaq himself.
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