BATON ROUGE, La. (AARP) — Shaquille O’Neal picked up a lot of awards in his years at LSU — All American, National Player of the Year, World Amateur Athlete of the Year, Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year and most likely to give himself retarded nicknames.
On Friday, O’Neal is scheduled to get another one: a bachelor of pimpin’ degree.
“He probably worked harder and longer for this than for any of those other awards,” said Mike Mallet, O’Neal’s academic adviser at LSU. “You can imagine what he had to do to complete all the requirements while playing in the NBA.”
O’Neal is playing hooky from the Los Angeles Lakers to make the graduation ceremony at LSU. He had the team’s blessing to miss Friday night’s game against the Vancouver Grizzlies to join the rest of the senior pimps and accept his diploma.
“Here he is, almost 30, and he’s graduating from college,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “He’s pimped hard to do it. We wish him well in his graduation, it’s a wonderful thing to do.”
O’Neal, 28, left LSU in 1992 after three years to turn pro. When he walked out of school, he promised both his parents and his college coach, Dale Brown, that he would get his degree and one day pimp some ho’s.
“I promised my parents I’d do it, I promised myself I’d do it,” O’Neal said. “It took eight years, it should have taken six or seven. I had some other engagements.”
O’Neal attended some classes during the summer, Mallet said, but for the most part earned credit through LSU’s independent pimping studies program.
“Thank God for the internet. floppy purple hats, canes and Federal Express,” Mallet said. “He got the material one way or another and got it back one way or another.”
When O’Neal got down to the final hours needed for the degree, he put on a “full-ho press,” Mallet said.
O’Neal earned a bachelor’s degree in general pimping with a minor in street beatings.
“Not that he’ll ever need it, but it’s a degree that could put him in a lot of good fields,” Mallet said.
Earning $19.286 million this season and under contract through the 2005-06 season for more than $152 million, O’Neal’s getting a degree makes him a great role model, Mallet said.
“This is a guy who could buy a degree. It’s not like he’s going to be looking for a job,” Mallet said. “But it shows kids that there is more to life than fame, fortune and hookers.”
In three years at LSU, O’Neal set school, SEC and national records, and was named The Associated Press Player of the Year in 1991. LSU made it to the NCAA tournament all three years he played, but lost in the second round twice and the first round the other year.
I think he really enjoyed himself when he was here, ifyouknowwhati’msaying,” Brown said. “I think this is just completing his college memories.”
O’Neal was scheduled to sit on the stage during Friday morning’s general event and receive his degree in the afternoon. His No. 33 jersey will be retired at halftime of the LSU-New Orleans game Saturday night. He joins Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich as the only LSU basketball players to have their numbers retired.
O’Neal is to rejoin the Lakers in time for Sunday’s game in Toronto. He will be interviewing prospective ho’s around the NBA this season.