Multidimensional Talent in Basketball: Rapper, Actor, Police Officer…

Shaqulle O’Neal had an outstanding career as a basketball player. He is n the Hall of Fame of basketball players and he was a fan favourite at Los Angeles Lakers. However, not many knows his multidimensional talent in basketball applies to many other aspects in life as well!

Shaquille O’Neal has achieved everything. The legendary basketball player Shaq has been a professional from 1992 until his retirement in 2011, at the age of 39. His memorable fights with Kobe Bryant ended his career at LAL but he still continues with Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and then at Boston Celtics, which was his last club ever. Alright, online betting news in the US thought of him as one of the best basketball players of all time. But what else has he done with his life upon his retirement?

1. The Educated Athlete

Professional sportsmen, especially the ones in the NBA, have no reason to worry about salary, money or the duties of a 9-to-5 job. However, O’Neal is not the kind of person who would be satisfied with just sitting around, doing nothing. After retiring from the NBA, Shaq finished his studies and got a Bachelor’s Degree at a Law school. Earlier, he also studied cinematography and directing.

2. NBA Players becoming policemen…What are the odds?

How often does it happen? Well, not very often and when it comes to choosing new careers for professional athletes upon their retirement, the odds for them to opt for law enforcement are pretty high at online sportsbooks in the US. But as we know, the legendary basketball player is not an everyday person. Shaq decided to apply his law studies and he actually became a police reserve officer in Los Angeles.

3. From NBA to being a rap star?

Shaq nailed that one too! Well, okay, he didn’t really become a rap star. He was a star already, who chose to rap around a bit. He actually started that not much after he became a professional basketball player, but the latter one worked out better for him. However, he still managed to release five studio albums. One of them even received a RIAA Platinum certification. He even had a song together with Michael Jackson.

4. Basketball players in cinema?

Now that’s a less surprising career path for retired athletes. For example, we can see many NBA stars n Space Jam, but all in all, basketball players acting in Hollywood moves is not such a shocking news like opting for law enforcement or the music industry. Shaq tred himself in this fitting role too. Scary Movie 4, My Wife and Kids and Grown Ups 2 are only a few of his Hollywood appearances.

5. The Shaquille O’Neal TV shows

Yes, that’s right. Plural form. The Shaquille O’Neal tv shows were to introduce as many sides of the multidimensional talent in basketball as possible. The ESPN reality series “Shaquille” launched in 2005, and he also hosted ABC’s “Shaq’s Big Challenge.” Apart from having his own tv shows, he also appeared in several series in MTV as well as Discovery Channel.

What are the odds for basketball players becoming actors, tv show hosts, rap stars or even police officers? You probably could make a fortune from betting on athletes switching career paths upon retirement, but unfortunately it is very rare betting market at online sportsbooks. However, you can always count on Paddy Power as they have the best novelty betting lines. Maybe even new career bets are available there.