Bad News for Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons as Shaquille O’Neal Gets Closer to His Dream

We probably don’t picture our therapists to be 7’1″ giants who will display four NBA championship rings with their degrees. But that’s how Dr. Shaquille O’Neal rolls. He’s not content being an armchair therapist in a cushy studio anymore. After two business degrees and a D.Ed, Shaq is pursuing a master’s degree in sports psychology. Since the 52-year-old revealed his new academic pursuit, he’s been on Rudy Gobert’s case along with Ben Simmons, Dwight Howard, and Victor Wembanyama. He could up his game when he has the qualifications to do it.

He was back on his longtime fan and radio host, Kris Fade’s show to talk about Shaq-lore. Including the time he paid for 15 other friends to pursue an MBA with him at the University of Phoenix. O’Neal did one better, confirming, “I’m about to get another master’s degree.” 

Shaq is pursuing sports psychology but he hasn’t specified which program he’s enrolled in. While this might be the final season of ‘NBA on TNT’, O’Neal wants to put the knowledge to use in his TV job. “I want to be the world renowned expert when it comes to sports psychology, you know, in the field,” he told Fade. “It’s a lot of people who know things from the academia side but I’ve never met anyone that can tell you from the professional side.”

It wouldn’t be Shaq if he didn’t remind you he was once the most dominant center in the league. “Nobody has done it bigger than me. So I have all the knowledge over here [Shaq refered to his head] on how to do it and how to deal with it. And now I want to get it from the academia side.”

O’Neal went back to LSU after the NBA draft to complete his BBA, he got his MBA during his time with the Suns, and a D.Ed from Barry University in Miami after retirement. Not having a sports psychology degree hasn’t stopped him from targeting big men throughout his analyst career.

Rudy Gobert is his favorite target lately. In recent history alone, O’Neal has called him “overrated” and the “worst” player. When Gobert responded, Shaq doubled down with a challenge to prove him wrong on the court instead of in a tweet.

Wemby has gone along with Shaq’s strategical psyche. After O’Neal diminished his stellar rookie season, Wemby responded by matching Shaq’s rookie records. It gives Shaq’s unconventional mind games some merit. With a degree, he’s going to be ruthless to the big men in the league.

Shaq is gaining ‘critical’ qualifications

Shaquille O’Neal has been very busy lately. He officially launched Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies, is hopping between EDM shows, appearing at multiple Big Chicken locations, and balancing multiple feuds simultaneously. He’s been exchanging barbs with Dwight Howard and Rudy Gobert, yet carved time for his studies.

Shaq’s friend, who’s also part of his entourage, revealed DJ Diesel jumped right back to studying after an EDM event. “I could be the only expert in the world that’s a sports psychologist that actually played the game at a super high level,” Shaq said about cramming his late-night studies between his schedules.

Dwight Howard recently switched sides to Gobert’s camp, claiming that it’s not Shaq’s job to provoke players. As per DH12, Shaq should uplift the new generation on ‘Inside the NBA’. But O’Neal also says, “I don’t want to come out and say I’m a psychologist when I don’t have the academia behind it.” 

So Shaq’s ignoring Howard’s comments. Instead, he’s getting the credentials to be more critical of players. Is this the ‘quiet’ before the storms? Only time will tell.