Shaquille O’Neal: the ‘nasty’ NBA legend who just wants to be known as Mr Nice Guy

When a 2.12m “ferocious, mean” billionaire basketball icon tells you he’s a good bloke, you’d better believe him. Shaquille O’Neal just wants an evening to convince you.

Ferocious Shaquille O’Neal has a message for his Aussie fans.

The iconic NBA great wants people to know he really is a nice guy at heart.

“In my world (basketball) I was ferocious, I was mean, I was nasty, but in the real world I am nice,” O’Neal told The Daily Telegraph.

“We stopped at a mall today and I took pictures young kids and it was great. Hopefully when I leave here (Australia), they will say Shaq is a nice guy.”

The 50-year-old is in Australia to appear on stage for An Evening With Shaquille O’Neal in Melbourne and Sydney with the tour presented by The Hour Group. O’Neal will also be deejaying and making appearances for Reebok.

Shaquille O'Neal in Melbourne ahead of his speaking tour. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The Melbourne event will be screened live on Main Event, available on Foxtel and Kayo Sports, before he heads to Sydney for a sold out gig at The Star on Friday night.

“We are going to have a conversation and people will get to learn a little bit more about me,” he said.

The Shaq in action for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001. Picture: Getty

“Half the time when you see a superstar on TV, they show you who they really are or they show you something different. I will be showing people who I am. I am nice. I am respectful. I am courteous. I’m giving.”

In person, sitting down with the Telegraph at Crown in Melbourne, O’Neal is a towering figure at 216cm. He is surprisingly softly spoken.

“People always ask how I want to be remembered and I say, Shaq was a nice guy, not he won championships, he is worth this much and he earns this, none of that matters. Was he a nice guy?”

Since retiring from professional sport, O’Neal has maintained his profile as one of the biggest names in the sport, covering Hollywood movies and a huge business portfolio.

Shaquille O'Neal defends a shot for the Lakers. Picture: Getty Images

He has a big fanbase on social media too with more than 26 million on Instagram alone.

“The way I use social media, 60 per cent is to make you laugh, 30 per cent to inspire you and 10 per cent whatever I am selling,” explained O’Neal, who will DJ at Marquee nightclub in Sydney on Saturday under his moniker DJ Diesel, adding of his music performances. “It is the same adrenaline that a game seven gives me. It is the same adrenaline as the US vs. Australia in Australia. When they pay money they want to see a good performance and I take pride in that. I like to make people get in the mosh pit and I may join them.”

A trip to the zoo is top of the list of must do while in Australia.

“I want to see Kangaroos brother,” O’Neal said. “I haven’t seen a kangaroo in a while.”

Originally published as Shaquille O’Neal: the ‘nasty’ NBA legend who just wants to be known as Mr Nice Guy