How often do we see the fun-loving Shaquille O’Neal miss out on some family time? From visiting numerous colleges with his youngest daughter, Me’Arah, to surprising his mother, courtesy of his eldest daughter, Taahirah, the NBA icon seems like a perfect dad. But even perfect dads can’t be in two places at once. So, as Taahirah celebrates another year of living life to the fullest, Shaq is out making history with his son, Myles.

After the uncertainty surrounding Inside the NBA and TNT these past couple of months, you would think that Shaq would’ve just liked to enjoy the summer break at home, away from all the noise. But it looks like the NBA legend-turned-analyst, entrepreneur, and, of course, DJ had other plans – plans that unfortunately didn’t involve attending Taahirah’s 28th birthday celebrations. And, well, they looked just as extravagant as DJ Diesel’s stages.

Born on July 19, 1996, to Shaquille O’Neal and his ex-girlfriend, Arnetta Yardbourgh, Taahirah turned 28 in style this year. And the social media marketer had her friends for company. Enjoying her birthday month, she shared snippets from multiple events on Instagram, all of which unfolded over three days, starting on her birthday and ending on July 21. In the first Instagram Story, Taahirah posted her outfit from Night 2, wearing a simple yet chic black dress. The next was a snap from the party venue, and the third was a clip of her friends singing Happy Birthday to her.

As for Shaq, the four-time NBA champion was in Romania on his eldest daughter’s birthday, taking over the crowd with his EDM sets. He spends much of his time honing his skills as a DJ, but you will be surprised to know that O’Neal doesn’t even get paid for it. Oh, to do something for just the love of it. That’s what it is for O’Neal. And following his passion, he’s currently on his concert tour, Shaq’s Summer of Bass. He announced this highly anticipated tour on X, writing, “NBA season is over… DIESEL season is here… catch me on the road in Europe and North America… we are locked in all summer long.”

Taahirah’s birthday celebrations coincided with shows in Cluj, Romania (July 19), and Boom, Belgium (July 21). The one in Belgium was part of one of the biggest music festivals, Tomorrowland. And that’s where the Los Angeles Lakers legend and his son made history. Speaking to Tomorrowland’s One World Radio, Myles O’Neal (also part of the festival) said, “We’ve got some special news. We’re debuting our duo, father-son duo.” With DJ Diesel joining him in the festival’s Rave Cave, they became “the first father-son duo in the [DJing] space.” What are they called? The O’Neal Boyz. 

As Myles dropped this news and created even more anticipation for the Race Cave – one of Tomorrowland’s most intimate stages with an underground aesthetic – Taahirah O’Neal showed her love from back home. Posting the Instagram reel on her story, the 28-year-old hilariously wrote, “look at my children making history🥹”

That said, this tour will continue till the October of this year. And it’s safe to say that Shaquille O’Neal’s eldest daughter will be cheering him on wherever he goes. Who knows? Maybe she’ll join him for one or two of his shows, too, considering his tour is returning to the US in August. With all this touring, though, one would ask why O’Neal travels across the globe for a job that, according to him, doesn’t even pay him anything.

Why does Shaquille O’Neal love his DJ job despite no financial gain?

Shaquille O’Neal boasts a net worth of $500 million. Much of his earnings are from his work with TNT and important investments, such as the Big Chicken chain, Papa John’s, and more. However, O’Neal isn’t interested in making money from his DJing job, even though he could, considering how successful his music is. But he chose not to.

He gets paid but not by money. Instead, it is with the satisfaction and enjoyment of playing the best music for his fans. “I want you to jam out. I want you to have fun. I’m not about promoting myself and having people go, ‘Look, who’s that?’” Shaq expressed this last year via Yahoo Entertainment. But a little part of it stems from his desire to relive the excitement of the NBA. “When I DJ, it gives me the same adrenaline rush as a playoff championship game. That’s why I do it,” he admitted. Importantly, all of it stemmed from the fact that music helped him through difficult times. So, you can call it an act of giving back.

DJing for free is not the only thing Shaq has embraced. The Big Aristotle also collaborates with up-and-coming and lesser-known artists to support them. It is simply his love for music that drives him. After releasing multiple albums as a rapper in the 90s, Shaq ventured into Electronic Dance Music after retirement. Last year, he released his first EDM album, Gorilla Warfare, which got quite popular among fans.

The 52-year-old was last spotted at Taahirah’s surprise party for her grandmother. Celebrating Shaq’s mom Lucille’s 70th birthday, Taahirah made all the arrangements and invited family and friends. While the night was for Lucille, the 7’1 giant can’t escape cameras easily. He might have missed Taahirah’s birthday party, but that’s not to say he won’t find a way to make it special for her when he gets the opportunity.