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In today’s world, athletes are often lauded for their on-court or on-field prowess. But what about those who excel off the court or field? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at one basketball player who earned a doctorate degree in education.
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Shaquille O’Neal
After playing professional basketball for 19 years, Shaquille O’Neal decided to go back to school and earn his Doctorate degree in Education. He always loved learning and was curious about how people learn. He wanted to use his knowledge to help others learn better. In this article, we’ll take a look at Shaquille O’Neal’s educational journey.
Early Life
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey, to Lucille O’Neal and Joseph Toney. His mother worked as a hotel maid and his father was a pool cleaner. young Shaq showed an early interest in basketball and began playing the game when he was just six years old. When he was eight, his family moved from Newark to San Antonio, Texas, where he continued to develop his skills on the court.
O’Neal attended Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio and quickly became one of the top high school players in the country. During his senior year, he averaged 32 points per game and led his team to the state semifinals. After graduating from high school in 1989, O’Neal accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Louisiana State University (LSU).
During his freshman year at LSU, O’Neal led the team to the NCAA tournaments for the first time in nearly a decade. The following year, he helped the Tigers return to the NCAA tournament and was named SEC Player of the Year. After two successful seasons at LSU, O’Neal decided to forego his final two years of eligibility and declare himself eligible for the 1992 NBA draft.
Playing Career
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal (/ʃəˈkiːl/ shə-KEEL; born March 6, 1972), nicknamed Shaq (/ʃæk/ SHAK), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT. He is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall and 325 pounds (147 kg), he was one of the tallest and heaviest players ever. O’Neal played for six teams throughout his 19-year career.
O’Neal’s individual accolades include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two Shaq Offensive Player of the Year awards (1999–2000 and 2000–01), and one Shaq Defensive Player of the Year award (1999). He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); he joins Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson as the only other players to achieve that feat. He was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
In addition to his basketball career, O’Neal has released four rap albums: Shaq Diesel (1993), Shaq Fu: Da Return (1994), Respect (1998), and Shaquille O’Neal Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1 (2009). He has appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows, Shaq’s Big Challenge and School Shopping.
Post-Playing Career
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal (/ʃəˈkiːl/ shə-KEEL; born March 6, 1972), nicknamed Shaq (/ʃæk/ SHAK), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT. He is considered one of the greatest players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall and 325 pounds (147 kg), he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA. O’Neal played for six teams throughout his 19-year NBA career.
In 1996, O’Neal signed what was at that time the most lucrative contract in NBA history, a 7-year, $120 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won championships in 2000 and 2001 with Kobe Bryant. The following season, he was traded to the Miami Heat, where he won another championship ring in 2006. Midway through the 2007–2008 season he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. After a season-and-a-half with Phoenix, O’Neal was traded back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played until suffering a season-ending injury in 2010. He rejoined Shaquille O’Neal and won his fifth championship ring at age 37. With his fifth ring, O’Neal became one of only two players to win NBA championships with four different franchises (the other being Robert Horry). Following his final season with the Celtics in 2011, he retired from playing professional basketball after 19 seasons.
O’Neal’s post-playing career has been just as successful as his time on the court. In 2007, he launched The Shaq Brand clothing line and has since Endorsement deals with Goldبie jewelry, Icy Hot pain relieving products,…
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring twice, and he is the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.
Early Life
Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of three children and the only son of former NBA player Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. Kobe grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and attended Lower Merion High School in Ardmore. As a freshman, he led the Aces to the state championship game. He continued to excel in high school, winning several awards, including being named to the 1996 McDonald’s All-American team.
Playing Career
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, and ranks fourth on the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.
Bryant was raised Catholic but became a Muslim in April 2016. He was honored with two jersey retirement ceremonies; one at Staples Center in 2017, and one at Staples Center in 2020.
Post-Playing Career
After retiring from the NBA, Kobe Bryant continued his love for basketball by becoming a coach. In 2018, he became an assistant coach for the Mamba Academy where he worked with players of all levels, from elementary to high school. He also became co-owner of the academy. In 2019, he won an Emmy for his documentary film Kobe Bryant’s Muse. The film was about his creative process and how he used art to cope with the death of his daughter, Gianna. In 2020, he won an Oscar for his animated short film Dear Basketball. The film was based on a letter he wrote to announce his retirement from the sport.
In addition to coaching and filmmaking, Kobe Bryant also wrote children’s books. In 2020, he published The Wizenard Series: Training Camp, the first book in a five-book series about a young basketball player who learns magical powers from a wizard. The book was a New York Times bestseller.
Kobe Bryant’s impact on the world extends far beyond basketball. He is truly one of the most inspirational people of our time.
LeBron James
In addition to being one of the best basketball players in the world, LeBron James is also now a doctor. The NBA star just earned his Doctorate degree in Education from the University of Akron.
Early Life
LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, to a 16-year-old mother, Gloria James, and father Anthony McClelland, who soon separated from each other. His mother struggled to care for him on her own while working two jobs and he often went without meals as a child. When LeBron was just five years old, he witnessed his father being taken away in handcuffs after being caught selling drugs. This put a strain on his relationship with his father and LeBron would later say that “drugs were never a part of my life.” Despite the rough start to his childhood, LeBron was able to find refuge in basketball. He began playing organized basketball when he was nine years old and it quickly became his favorite sport. By the time LeBron was in high school, he had grown to six feet tall and had developed into one of the best young basketball players in the country.
During his junior year of high school, LeBron was selected to be a part of the USA Today All-USA First Team, which is a prestigious honor reserved for only the best high school basketball players in the country. He also earned numerous other accolades during his high school career, including being named Ohio’s “Mr. Basketball” three times (in 2002, 2003, and 2004). After graduating from high school in 2003, LeBron decided to forgo college and declare himself eligible for the NBA Draft. He would eventually be selected with the first overall pick by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Playing Career
LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. Standing at 6 feet 8 inches tall, James was a natural choice for his middle school basketball team. As he continued to grow and refine his skills on the court, it became clear that he had a chance to become something special. In high school, James led his team to three state championships and was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball.
In 2003, James was the first overall pick in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He would go on to play for the Cavaliers for 11 seasons, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2004 and leading the team to its first NBA Finals appearance in 2007.
In 2010, James made headlines when he announced that he would be leaving Cleveland to join forces with fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. The move paid off as James led the Heat to NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. After four seasons in Miami, James returned home to Ohio in 2014, rejoining the Cavaliers. He would lead them to another NBA Finals appearance that year but lose to the Golden State Warriors. The following season, James and the Cavs made history by becoming the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals to win an NBA title. They repeated as champions in 2017 before losing to the Warriors again in 2018. Following that loss, James left Cleveland for a second time, this time joining the Los Angeles Lakers.
Post-Playing Career
LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest NBA players in history, James is frequently compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player of all time. After winning consecutive NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, James was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) on both occasions. He then led the Cavaliers to an NBA championship in 2016 before joining the Lakers in 2018.
In 2020, he earned his Doctorate degree in Education from Baylor University.
