NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant figures in the history of the league. During his prime, he was a force to be reckoned with. Over the course of his career, Shaq has won 4 NBA championships, 3 Finals MVP awards, and 1 NBA MVP award. The success helped him attain superstardom and made him his fortune. O’Neal made his fortune from various endorsements and NBA salaries. And the Big Diesel isn’t short of things he loves to spend it on.
Shaq loves customized cars and when you are 7ft 1in, sometimes, it has to be a custom one to fit you. Shaquille O’Neal is the proud owner of 17 cars. And he once stunned everyone in the NBA with his car comparisons.
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Shaquille O’Neal shocked the NBA world with his car reference
The Orlando Magic selected Shaquille O’Neal as the #1 pick of the 1992 NBA draft. Shaq hit the ground running and changed the fortunes of the franchise. He was putting up mind-boggling numbers and won the Rookie of the Year award. He turned the struggling Magic into a contender. In just his second season, Shaq averaged 29.3 points per game and led his team to the NBA finals.
However, the reigning champions, Houston Rockets, swept the young Magic team led by O’Neal in the Finals. But the future of the Magic looked bright with young stars Shaq and Penny Hardaway.
After 4 seasons with the Magic, his contract extension with the Magic didn’t go as planned. Recently, Shaq revealed in one of his podcasts that he was ready to accept an $80 million 4-year contract extension. However, things changed, he said, “A couple days later, I’m watching ESPN. And Juan Howard signs for $105 million and Alonso signs for $110 million. So I make the statement on National TV, ‘If a BMW costs 110, how much do you think a Mercedes cost?’…”?
WATCH THIS STORY – Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Shaquille ONeal: NBA Legends Who Spent Over $100 Million Each On Luxurious Yachts That Take Millions Just To Maintain Each Day
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O’Neal’s comments rocked the NBA world. However, the Magic were still reluctant to offer what he wanted. Then came all-time great Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq said that the Lakers offered him a $121 million deal, which made him the highest paid ever in the NBA at the time. The rest as they say is ‘History’.
The Big Diesel’s car collection
O’Neal is a huge fan of the 1983 movie, ‘Scarface’. And he bought the 1963 Cadillac Eldorado with Tiger fur seats driven by Al Pacino in the movie. He owns a Ferrari 355 F1 Spider and had the soft top replaced with a custom tonneau cover to fit himself. He also made some modifications to give him more leg room.
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Shaq also owns a customized Mercedes S550 convertible. Then he had the top taken off it to create a very long convertible indeed. Also, muscular body kits were added to give extra presence. O’Neal bought a Lamborghini Gallardo in which he had to add 12 inches to the Gallardo?s wheelbase and extended the doors, roof, and side windows to fit his frame.