Shaquille O鈥橬eal is already known by many names. Superman. The Diesel. The Big Aristotle. But he would like to add another to the list: Movie Star.
In 鈥淯ncle Drew,鈥� which opens Friday, he plays one of the former basketball stars (all of them real pros under heavy old-man makeup) reunited by Kyrie Irving鈥檚 titular character (first created for a TV ad) to compete in a street-ball tournament at Harlem鈥檚 Rucker Park. Shaq鈥檚 character, known as Big Fella, is found running a martial arts dojo.
But post-NBA life has been far more successful for the four-time NBA champion. He鈥檚 an analyst on TNT鈥檚 鈥淚nside the NBA,鈥� a popular pitchman and an active entrepreneur and investor. He has dabbled in everything from professional wrestling to law enforcement. He鈥檚 even a voice setting on the Waze navigation app. This summer he will tour under the name DJ Diesel.
鈥淯ncle Drew鈥� is just one of the projects that the 46-year-old O鈥橬eal has going. Among his favourites is a TBS show he鈥檚 developing with Ken Jeong. Comparing their chemistry to Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, O鈥橬eal says it will be 鈥溾�楽einfeld鈥�-epic-ish.鈥�
In an interview, O鈥橬eal spoke about his big plans in Hollywood, why the NBA has gotten soft and where he hopes LeBron James lands this off-season.
AP: What do you miss about playing in the NBA?
O鈥橬eal: I miss all of it. I miss interacting with the fans. I miss having the unexpected adrenaline rush, the doubts, the fear, overcoming the fear. I miss everything.
AP: Do you play anymore?
O鈥橬eal: No, not at all.
AP: How come?
O鈥橬eal: I ain鈥檛 got it. Right now, I鈥檓 relinquishing all my powers to my son who鈥檚 going to UCLA .
AP: That鈥檚 a shame. I鈥檇 love to see you and Charles Barkley play one-on-one.
O鈥橬eal: Yeah, Charles would lose.
AP: Your post-NBA career has been uncommonly busy. Why?
O鈥橬eal: Seventy per cent of all professional athletes have nothing, not even a job, after they鈥檙e done. The fact that I couldn鈥檛 even call a franchise to get an interview to be a coach frightened me. So nothing was simple. Educate yourself, be nice to people and save your money. If you do that, you should be OK.
AP: You have numerous TV shows and films in development. What are your Hollywood aspirations?
O鈥橬eal: I want to be as big as Rock.
AP: Dwayne Johnson is the biggest movie star on the planet. That鈥檚 setting a high bar.
O鈥橬eal: We come from the same place: athletes that transition. That鈥檚 my goal. I want similar type movies. I want to get thrillers. I want to get dramas. I want to do comedies. I want to be the next Rock. I want to do a thriller where I鈥檓 like a hero and beat up all the bad guys.
AP: It鈥檚 been 24 years since your big-screen debut, 鈥淏lue Chips.鈥� Do you feel like a veteran actor?
O鈥橬eal: Well, I have shot 15 movies. I always tell my friends I shot 15 movies but they say, 鈥淵eah, but if you play Shaq in nine of the movies, that鈥檚 not really acting.鈥� I say, 鈥淵ou make a good point.鈥� I鈥檓 just happy to have the opportunity.
AP: Favourite movie?
O鈥橬eal: Oh, 鈥淪tepbrothers.鈥� All day, every day. I know that movie by heart.
AP: What else do you like?
O鈥橬eal: I just got done watching 鈥淛ustice League.鈥� I thought it was pretty good. But they held Superman out too long.
AP: In vogue in today鈥檚 NBA are big men who can shoot from the perimeter . Could you have developed a three-point game?
O鈥橬eal: No, I would have played the same way. Because you can鈥檛 score 40 points a night shooting jumpers. Nobody has, nobody will. But you can score 40 points a night shooting 60, 70 per cent inside the paint. The fact that guys are shooting jumpers, that鈥檚 just telling me they don鈥檛 like physical contact. Shooting jumpers is easy. Anybody can shoot a jumper. But can you bang a guy four of five times and then still have enough to score two points for your team?
AP: You think the league has gotten soft.
O鈥橬eal: Of course.
AP: The Lakers are rumoured to be a likely landing spot for LeBron James. Do you want that to happen?
O鈥橬eal: I just want the Lakers to be like they were back in the day. I want somebody that can beat Golden State. Golden State has turned into madness. The thing that would make me very excited is if LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard came to the Lakers. Then you鈥檇 have problems in the West. Then basketball would be fun again.
AP: Have you ever talked to Kyrie Irving about his flat Earth beliefs ?
O鈥橬eal: No, because I said it too. But I was playing.
AP: You were in make-up for four hours a day for 鈥淯ncle Drew.鈥� How did you pass the time?
O鈥橬eal: Sleep. When I woke up, it still wasn鈥檛 done.
The Associated Press
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