“Wasn’t Worth It.. a Headache”: Years After NBA Retirement, $600,000,000 Worth Shaquille O’Neal Reveals Reason for Big Career Diversion

Shaquille O’Neal was the definition of dominance back in his prime days in the NBA. He wasn’t only a basketball superstar, but a cultural phenomenon who branched out his career to whatever his interests lay in. He was a rapper, DJ, hilarious actor, and even a reserve police officer. However, over the years, the ‘Big Diesel’ made sure that he streamlined his career choices into just a few that he was absolutely comfortable with and that helped him establish a net worth of $600 million, making him one of the richest basketball players on the planet.

The Big Aristotle and his scintillating time as a sports analyst on NBA on TNT signify that the Los Angeles Lakers legend still has the charisma to engage and entertain audiences. It might be one of the major factors why he bid adieu to one of his most entertaining career paths during the 90s.

Shaquille O’Neal explains his reasons for changing the course of his off-court career

O’Neal continued to be a star off the court as he shook the league with his dominating performances in the late 90s and the early 2000s. However, Shaq recently revealed why he wasn’t really interested in one of his career moves, rapping, as time went on. In a recent appearance on the podcast Win Big with Clinton Sparks, the Big Man revealed what happened with his Hip-Hop career. Additionally, he also answered why he chose to leave the profession, despite having some decent success.

“I just wanted to fulfill my contractual obligations, and I wanted to make my label thing work,” said Shaq. He further added, “I’m the same age as [unclear]. If they can do it, I’m sure it’s a genre for me. It was a challenge, and it was fun. We made some money but compared to the real money that I make, it wasn’t worth it.. was a headache. You know, the radio games started to be a problem.”

It is an understandable decision, as the Lakers legend made a significant amount of money while playing basketball. Additionally, the amount of effort that he had to make put into music did not provide the equivalent returns.

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The Big Man might not have continued his music career as a rapper, but he had some great hits under his belt. He also worked with one of the greatest rappers ever.

Shaq and his surprisingly successful music career while playing in the NBA

The Big Diesel fulfilled his wish of being a rapper as soon as he entered the NBA, as he dropped his debut album, Shaq Diesel, in 1993. The album peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200 and was certified as platinum.

Furthermore, the Lakers legend released four more studio albums, even collaborating with one of the biggest rappers in history, The Notorious B.I.G. It was a highlight for Shaq, as he mentioned later in his career.

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