NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has established himself as an international brand. On Nov. 23, HBO is set to premiere the first of the four-part “SHAQ” docuseries. The series details his basketball journey and military upbringing, and shows how he prospered through doubt and a troubled adolescence. It also showcases the off-the-court persona that made him even more marketable away from basketball.
Rolling out had the chance to speak with O’Neal, as well as his “Inside The NBA” co-hosts Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley, about what fans should expect to see in the production.
Shaq has been famous for over 30 years now. What is something new you think fans will learn about him in this documentary?
O’Neal: I just opened up a little bit. I’m famous because I played NBA basketball. I made a lot of money doing that, but I also know I have to be a teacher to young people like you. So I tried to give them the answers to all the test questions.
Rule number one is make sure you listen. If I didn’t listen to [my mom] … or my father or the mentors who paved the way for me … I wouldn’t be here. So, the first thing you got to do is listen. The second thing, before you succeed, is you must first learn to fail. That’s the key. Keep going, and never let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. I was told I couldn’t do a lot, but now, because of following those rules, I can do whatever I want to do.
Johnson: I haven’t seen [the docuseries] yet. I can’t wait to see it. [AJC entertainment reporter] Rodney [Ho] had asked me, “Do you think you’re going to learn anything new about Shaq from this?” I said, “I hope not. I hope I know everything at this point.” But look, this guy has been such a success story.
Coming from San Antonio from a military family and following his father’s lead, it’s all played out that way for him. It’s been awesome to see. So I don’t know exactly what’s going to be in there, I just hope anything he says about me is true or close to accurate.
Barkley: There [are] some things you’re going to learn. His ability as a basketball player, that’s on a separate level, but his ability as a businessman and the spokesperson, I think a lot of people can learn from that because he’s a tremendous businessperson. I mean, he’s been amazing for a long time. That’s the key because what happens when you quit playing basketball, you become a nobody. You got to start over. So what he’s accomplished is incredible.
