Shaquille O'Neal had the chance to play out his senior year at LSU if he wanted to. Regardless, the 1989 McDonald's All-American co-MVP chose to join the 1992 NBA Draft after discussing the decision with his family and his coach, Dale Brown.
Shaq shed light on why he felt it was time to make the jump to the professionals. He felt he had gained the necessary experience to mix it up in the pros and thought it was time for him to go to the next level. "The Diesel" admitted then that he was no longer having fun playing college ball. That factored into his decision, knowing that better things could be up ahead in the pros.
" My Dad told me at a young age, if you're not having fun at what you're doing, it's time to do something else. And I made my decision," the 7-foot-1 behemoth said via the New York Times .
The Next Level
Shaq would get his share of banging with other centers in the paint in college. Teams would triple-team him just to prevent him from being effective for the Tigers. O'Neal averaged 24.1 points in his junior year, 14 rebounds and 5.2 blocks. Considering he could produce those numbers even when guarded by multiple opposing players, it would be interesting if he could do the same in the pro ranks.
True enough, 'The Big Aristotle' hardly showed signs of struggling. His first year in the NBA with the Orlando Magic was monstrous with O'Neal averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.9 assists in 81 regular season games. He was a key figure in turning the Magic campaign around that season, helping the franchise finish fourth in the Atlantic division.
O'Neal would only get better as the years passed. Alongside Penny Hardaway, the duo helped Orlando finish with the best regular season record (57-25) in the 1994-95 season. They would go as far as the NBA Finals but got swept by the eventual champions, the Houston Rockets.
The Value of Education
Before the decision in 1992, Shaq had considered turning pro in the previous years. With his dominance, big money was on the table for him. It would help him and his family financially, although his parents were against it.
An excellent example of how he wasn't ready was when Shaq approached his mom. Although his intent was good, Lucille O'Neal asked her son to do something for him – balance a checkbook .
Shaquille could not do so and his mom told him that he just wasn't ready yet. Determined to help his family, Shaq focused on business, taking up accounting and marketing in his junior year. When he was asked again to balance a checkbook, O'Neal knew how to do it. His parents supported his plan to turn pro, and everything else fell into place.
Although O'Neal made waves playing pro ball, he still made sure to spare time for his education. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in general studies at LSU in 2000 with a minor in political science. Also, he pursued advanced studies, aware that enriching his knowledge would be essential, especially after playing competitive ball.
Related: Shaq on how he and Penny defeated Jordan in 1995
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