If there’s something Shaquille O’Neal has, that’s determination. Even though he could have done much better on the court (which is a lot to say), Shaq is always trying to find ways to be better as a person, businessman, and even student. That’s why he got his masters, after realizing that people didn’t take him so seriously and only looked at his lawyers and advisors when it was time to make business.
Well, O’Neal got tired of that, and just like a basketball board, he dominated school and added more accolades to his already impressive life. The Big Diesel wasn’t only a menace on the court but was also ‘dangerous’ when he felt people disrespected him.
In Michael Jordan fashion, Shaq took things personally and challenged himself to be better and add more value to his life. That’s exactly what happened several years ago, when O’Neal graduated from college, using some interesting tactics to get a certain university to open a class.
Shaquille O’Neal Paid 15 Of His Friends To Go To College With Him
During a recent interview on Be Better Off Show, the 4x NBA champion revealed what led him to get his masters. He realized that people used to overlook him when it came to business, and he decided to prove them wrong and become an expert at it (19:16).
“I noticed that every time I go to a business meeting, the guys we’re doing deals with will be like, ‘Hello Shaq, how are you doing?’ and then they would turn away and look at my lawyers, accountants, and all those guys. So I said, ‘oh, you guys don’t think I’m in charge? You guys don’t think I understand the lingo?’ So I went and got my masters from the University of Phoenix. The University of Phoenix is an online program mostly, but I went to the head officials and said, ‘I don’t wanna do it online, I want somebody to teach me in a class’, and then they came back and said, ‘unfortunately, we can’t set up a classroom for one guy. You need 15 people.’ So I paid for 15 of my friends to get their masters.”
This is an epic response for Shaq, who didn’t give up until he got his wish granted. He knew what he wanted and never hesitated until he got it. That’s how you reach greatness, and Shaq knew that very well. Besides being the most dominant player of all time, O’Neal is a very smart person, showing time and time again that he’s also kind and won’t hesitate to help people out.
This is such an inspirational story that teaches how some are so keen to learn and get more knowledge that can even involve other people and benefit them in the process.
