Shaquille O’Neal is a part of many organizations, is the Omega Psi Phi fraternity one of them?
Shaquille O’Neal joined the Omega Psi Phi while playing basketball for Louisiana State University. The frat members of Omega Psi Phi impressed Shaq with the love they had for one another and how they looked after one another.
According to The Philadelphia Tribune Shaq said “When I was in college those guys looked out for me. I was a young buck on campus. They showed me around at the football games. They just had so much brotherly love. So, then when I learned about it. I said, ‘You know what? I think I can do this.’ Mostly all the football players were ‘Que Dogs.’ That’s what they called themselves. I wanted to be a part of the organization.”
The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was established on the 17th of November, 1911 at Howard University in Washington D.C. The founders were three undergraduate students Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman. Their faculty advisor, Ernest Everett Just joined them in being a founding member. Howard University was the first historically black university to establish a fraternity.
The fraternity derived its name Omega Psi Phi from the initials of the Greek phrase meaning, “friendship is essential to the soul“. The fraternity selected this phrase to be its motto. The Fraternity adopted Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift as their Cardinal Principles.
The Omega Psi Phi comprises around 250,000 people from the United States, Germany, South Korea, Kuwait and Liberia among other places. Members of the fraternity include leaders in the fields of arts, academics, athletics, entertainment, business, civil rights, education and several other fields.
Shaq isn’t the only former NBA player that is a part of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. The other notable former NBA players include Michael Jordan, Earl Monroe, Cedric Maxwell, Vince Carter and John Salley among others.
Besides that, NBA analyst and commentator on ESPN talk show ‘First Take’ Stephen A. Smith is a member of the fraternity as well and has even been spotted at events with Shaq.