Five years into his Hall-of-Fame career, Shaquille O’Neal was battling the noise inside his own head. When every breath and bounce felt under a microscope, the four-time champion found himself staring down an even bigger decision than retirement: could the league he’d helped build really guard his most fragile asset? He set out to learn more through education.

Big Diesel already holds three formal degrees. Shaq received a B.A. degree in General Studies from LSU in 2000 and then earned an online MBA degree from the University of Phoenix in 2005. He also added an education degree (Ed. D) in Human Resource Development in 2012. Yet, in March last year, he announced pursuing another degree. “I will, in the next three years, be the foremost expert when it comes to sport psychology. So I read that, but I don’t want to act like it’s affirmative yet, because I don’t have the title behind it.”

Last year was the announcement, and this year he is already taking it seriously. But his motivation to add another degree is based on his personal story of distrust. “I’m working on my Master’s of liberal arts right now at uh LSU. I’m the type that if I don’t believe you, I find it difficult, and this is no disrespect to sports psychologists.” On the recent broadcast of the TODAY show, the 4x NBA icon revealed his reason for not trusting a sports psychologist to overcome his mental health concerns.

“I went to a sports psychologist one time cuz we know I’m a terrible free-throw shooter. And he was like, and his recommendations were ‘breathe’. I was like, ‘Breathe in Sacramento with his cowbells and breathe is not going to work.‘” His charity-stripe woes persisted—he shot just 52% from the line, the fifth-worst among players with 1,200+ misses. So, Shaquille O’Neal felt a visit to the expert would help with the issue.

But ‘breathe’ proved no remedy for the Big Aristotle’s free-throw slump. “I want to get the knowledge in my mind, in my weird mind. I want to be a sports psychologist, and I want to be the first sports psychologist that’s available on the academia side and available on the sport side.” But did you know, O’Neal already claims to have his 4th degree?

Shaquille O’Neal revealed the unusual fourth degree

Before we get to the punchline, it’s worth noting that Shaq’s not a stranger to specialized training outside the hardwood. In 2011, he completed the New York Film Academy’s Filmmaking Conservatory—a hands-on certificate program in directing and cinematography taught on the Universal Studios back lot.

Fast-forward to May 26, 2024, in Dallas—just before Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals—when Shaq appeared on JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three podcast. After joking that he’d rather become his own sports psychologist than rely on the league’s, Redick asked a seemingly innocent question: “How many degrees do you have now?” Shaq didn’t skip a beat

“Four. Yes, this will be my fifth. Bachelors, Master’s, Doctorate, Street. Yeah, I have a street degree, and then I’m going to get one.” Street degree? By “street degree,” O’Neal was tipping his cap to the grit of his Newark upbringing. It was a nod to an education in resilience and hustle that no classroom can replicate.

Yes, O’Neal claimed about earning a street degree. After all, his journey to the top of the NBA is filled with struggles, hard work, perseverance, and glorious results. So, even if he said that in jest about him having a street degree, let’s not question the authenticity of it.