Shaquille O’Neal is Retiring

NBA Super Star Shquille O'Neal, who stands to make the Hall of Fame in 5 years,  has  announced he's about to retire.

On Twitter yesterday,  O'Neal said:

"We did it. Nineteen years, baby. I want to thank you very much. That's why I'm telling YOU first. I'm about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon."

O'Neal, who turned 39 in March, averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds in his 19-year career out of LSU. What set him apart right away was the enormity of his size — and his personality.

At 7-1, 325 pounds, he was a beast underneath, with rim-rattling dunks. Off the court, his various Shaqisms became part of the sports lingo of the time, such as: "I've won at every level, except college and pro," before he had won an NBA title.

He played for six teams, but his mega-highlight years came for the team that drafted him, the Orlando Magic, and for the team where he won three consecutive NBA championships, the Los Angeles Lakers.

He was the NBA's MVP in 1999-2000 with the Lakers, when he averaged a career-high 29.7 points with 13.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as Los Angeles won its first of three titles in a row.