Shaquille O’Neal is undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures in the history of the NBA. Known for his towering presence and dominant performance on the court, O’Neal’s contributions to basketball are legendary.
Over the course of his 19-year career in the NBA, he played for 6 different teams and has a long list of accomplishments. He has also showcased a commendable character through his philanthropic steps. His commitment to charitable causes has left an indelible mark on communities across the globe.
While most of us know Shaq as the unstoppable Lakers legend, his heart always ached to work in law enforcement. The interest first surfaced when he got enrolled in the LA County Sheriff’s Reserve Academy. At the time, he was playing for Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq ensured that he completed all the necessary work to get to the position of reserve officer for the LA Port Police.
Furthermore, for his notable work with the Safe Surfin’ Foundation, he was honored as United States Deputy Marshal in March 2005. Shaq was the voice of the task force that aimed to find sexual predators over the internet. He spoke to Morning America about the cause, and he stated, “We want to get these predators off-line”.
Shaq expressed his level of disturbance with knowing that anyone would want to sexually harm a child. He candidly spoke, “It’s very disturbing to see that anyone would want to harm a child, especially in a sexual manner, very, very disturbing”. He actively worked for the cause, and his work speaks volumes about the kind of person Shaq is. Undoubtedly, he would make a great police officer.
Shaquille O’Neal always wanted to work in law enforcement
Shortly after being traded to Miami Heat, he pulled his sleeves to become a reserve officer for the Miami Beach Police Department. He rigorously trained for the role, and as someone who had a deep interest in getting involved in law enforcement, Shaq made it count.
He was sworn in as a reserve police officer for the beach police department in December 2005. A private ceremony took place as his dream was getting fulfilled yet again. Interestingly, a year later, Shaquille O’Neal was involved in a raid in Bedford County, Virginia.
Despite not being a qualified SWAT officer, he was able to help the team out. Shaq was named an honorary deputy for his commendable work with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Department. In addition to this, he holds a special deputy for Maricopa County in Arizona.
Basketball legend @SHAQ goes by many nicknames, and now added to that list is Deputy Shaq. The big man now works as an auxillary deputy with the #BSO. Sheriff Tony sat down with Shaq and the two talked about the different ways law enforcement works to keep communities safe. pic.twitter.com/H8j2lwUm0B
— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) March 15, 2019
The line between reality and real blurred for Shaq’s aspirations for working in Law enforcement. As he was not only a real sheriff’s deputy but also played the role of a police officer. In Grown Ups 2, Shaq characterized the role of Officer Fluzoo.
All of these little moments lead to a big picture for Shaq. Just four years after retiring from the NBA, he became a reserve police officer at Doral Police Department in Florida. Remarkably, he also holds the record of being the tallest Sheriff’s deputy in the United States.