Born Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal, he is a retired professional basketball player popularly known as Shaq. He is currently a sports analyst on “Inside the NBA.” He played for 6 teams throughout his career in the NBA which spanned 19 years.
In this article, we will cover his net worth Shaq, his childhood development, his NBA career, salary, and others.
What is the Net Worth of Shaq?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, their estimated net worth of Shaq is said to be around $400 million.
He has won several accolades including the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award; 1999–2000 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award; 15 All-Star Game selections, three Finals MVP awards; three All-Star Game MVP awards; two scoring titles; three NBA All-Defensive Team selections and 14 All-NBA team selections.
In 2000, he became one of only 3 players to receive All-Star Game MVP, NBA MVP as well as Finals MVP awards.
After taking a dig into his net worth, let’s have a look at Shaq’s childhood.
Early Life
Shaq was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 6, 1972. He is the child of Joe Toney and Lucille O’Neal. His father was a drug addict and sentenced to imprisonment after pleading guilty to drug possession. At the time, Shaq was very young. For decades, he was estranged from his father. When he was 2 years old, his mother tied the knot with Phillip Harrison who worked as a sergeant in the United States Army.
When Shaq was still attending high school, he gained the limelight because of his basketball skills. He headed the San Antonio’s Robert G. Cole High School team for the state championship while in his senior years.
He then attended Louisiana State University and there he became SEC player of the year twice and All American two times as well. In 1991, Shaq won the Adolph Rupp’s Trophy for the NCAA men’s basketball player of the year.
NBA Superstar
Shaq has earned millions and built this net worth from his basketball career majorly. The Orlando Magic drafted Shaq in 1992 and after a year, he became the Rookie of the Year as well as named an All Star-starter which no one could achieve since Michael Jordan.
He helped the team to qualify for their first playoff series during his second season. The following year they reached the finals, though they couldn’t triumph over the Houston Rockets.
In the 1995-96 season, his injury troubled him but the team was victorious. That year during the playoffs, Shaq and the Magic triumphed in the first two rounds though eventually, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls beat them.
Shaq joined the men’s Olympic basketball team in Atlanta and they won the Olympic gold medal. He then signed a $121-million contract with the Lakers for seven years.
During his initial few years with the team, his performance was promising, but couldn’t win a championship. He was battling with injury and personnel changes till the time a leadership change revamped things.
In the 1990-00 season, former coach of Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson joined the Lakers and made them strong enough to dominate for coming years. Phil challenged Shaq and made him level up his defensive game. Shaq and the Lakers eventually ended up winning the NBA championship the same year and continued winning the title for the next two consecutive years.
In 2004, the Miami Heat picked Shaq, and the next year, he signed a $100-million contract for five years with the team. The following year, the team defeated the Dallas Mavericks and ended up winning their first ever title whereas Shaq’s fourth, played an important role in his net worth.
In early 2008, his contract with teams came to an end. The Phoenix Suns signed him the same year and there he couldn’t make it to the playoffs for the first time since his rookie season. At the end of his first season with the team, he was traded to set aside the budget. More 1-year terms would follow, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and his final season with the Boston Celtics.
Shaq’s Salary
At the peak of his career, Shaq earned $27 million in salary. Have a look below at his salary throughout his career as per team:
- 1992-93: $3,000,000 (Orlando Magic)
- 1993-94: $3,900,000 (Orlando Magic)
- 1994-95: $4,800,000 (Orlando Magic)
- 1995-96: $5,700,000 (Orlando Magic)
- 1996-97: $10,714,000 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 1997-98: $12,857,143 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 1998-99: $15,000,000 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 1999-00: $17,142,858 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 2000-01: $19,285,715 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 2001-02: $21,428,572 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 2002-03: $23,571,429 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 2003-04: $24,749,999 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 2004-05: $27,696,430 (Miami Heat)
- 2005-06: $20,000,000 (Miami Heat)
- 2006-07: $20,000,000 (Miami Heat)
- 2007-08: $20,000,000 (Phoenix Suns)
- 2008-09: $21,000,000 (Phoenix Suns)
- 2009-10: $20,000,000 (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- 2010-11: $1,352,181 (Boston Celtics)
All this makes his total career earnings in the NBA $292,198,327. Shaq’s salary contributed majorly to building his net worth.
Endorsements
Apart from his career in basketball, Shaq’s endorsement deals also contributed to his net worth. He gained popularity in no time and a number of popular brands collaborated with Shaq including Carnival Cruise Line, Reebok, and Pepsi. The list of brands is just too long when it comes to Shaq’s endorsement deals and commercial appearances which have contributed a lot to his net worth.
Personal Life
In 2002, Shaq tied the knot with Shaunie Nelson and the couple has four children together: Shareef, Shaqir, Me’arah, and Amirah. From his previous relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh, he has a daughter named Tahirah. Shaq and Nelson divorced in 2009 stating irreconcilable differences. From 2010 to 2012, Shaq dated Nicole Alexander. He has been in a relationship with model Laticia Rolle since 2014.
Shaq has put a lot of effort into earning this huge net worth over the years. Keep a watch on our website for more such updates.