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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 23: Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal attends the unveiling of the Shaq Courts at the Doolittle Complex donated by Icy Hot and the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in partnership with the city of Las Vegas on October 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Icy Hot)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 23: Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal attends the unveiling of the Shaq Courts at the Doolittle Complex donated by Icy Hot and the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in partnership with the city of Las Vegas on October 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Icy Hot)
Irrespective of whether someone is a basketball fan or not, Shaquille O’Neal is a name that resonates with almost everyone. The four-time NBA champion is regarded as one of the greatest centers to ever play in the NBA. Moreover, he has a huge social media presence thanks to his off-court antics.
However, he had a very difficult childhood. Shaq worked hard to break into the NBA and use his gifts to establish himself as one of the greats.
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In his book, ‘Shaq Talks Back’, O’Neal describes some of the troubles he endured growing up. Among them was a place to sleep peacefully. Shaq talks about how multiple cousins slept in a single room. Moreover, hot and humid summer nights made life tougher for the O’Neal family.
Shaq said, “We had a lot of places to stay. They were always low-income, two-bedroom apartments. The projects, really. All the cousins used to sleep on bunk beds, sometimes seven or eight of us in the same room. Some of us would sleep on floors. No air conditioning, nothing.”
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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 27: Shaquille O’Neal reacts during the first half of a game between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Despite facing so many hardships while growing up, Shaquille O’Neal made sure to fully utilize all his opportunities. Interestingly enough, from sleeping with seven to eight cousins in one room, Shaq transitioned into living in a multi-million dollar estate.
Where does Shaquille O’Neal stay?
The four-time NBA champion moved to Miami after staying in Orlando for almost two decades. Similar to how he made his huge debut for the Miami Heat, Shaq bought one of the best houses in the area to start life in Miami.
He bought a $16 million mansion in the city of Miami. Although his new estate might look glorious, his previous estate in Orlando is no less. O’Neal sold the mansion for $11 million after buying it initially for $28 million.
The 31,000 sq-foot estate has almost every amenity possible and overlooks Lake Butler in the gated golf community of Isleworth outside Orlando. Moreover, the mansion houses a Miami Heat-styled basketball court, 17-car showroom, cigar room, custom theater, recording studio, and a 95-foot-long pool.
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What is your favorite memory of Shaquille O’Neal? Let us know in the comments down below.
Written by
Edited by
Veer Badani