There’s no question that Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best big men ever to play in the NBA. Some might consider him the best. He certainly dominated throughout his NBA career.

One thing that O’Neal enjoyed doing outside of basketball was acting. The Hall of Famer wanted to play in a world-famous movie, but things did not work out.

Shaquille O’Neal, the dominant big man

O’Neal came into the league on a mission, and that was to be one of the best. He certainly accomplished that goal. When he came into the league in 1993, he let the league know what he was all about. He won the Rookie of the Year award after averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game with the Orlando Magic. O’Neal continued to be successful on the court throughout his time in Orlando. When he moved out west and joined the Los Angeles Lakers, his career took off.

O’Neal helped build a dynasty in L.A. as the Lakers won three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. During each of those title runs, O’Neal was named Finals MVP. He was the most dominant player in the league at the time playing for the best team. NBA fans across the world knew who O’Neal was. He was a nightmare for opposing players on the court. Players did not know how to guard him, given his big frame. If you caught him in the paint, there was no stopping him at the rim.

After a successful L.A. career, O’Neal joined the Miami Heat, where he helped the team to an NBA title in 2006 for his fourth overall championship. Toward the end of his career, O’Neal’s numbers dropped because age was getting to him. He finished his career playing for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. The Hall of Fame center finished his career averaging 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.

Shaquille O’Neal played in many movies and television shows

O’Neal did not focus only on basketball during his career, and he ventured into other opportunities. He was someone who enjoyed being in front of the camera. It was only right for O’Neal to pursue an acting career. O’Neal started with ‘Blue Chips’ and ‘Kazaam’ and faced some criticism from both films. But he continued with his acting career and would go on to make many appearances in different movies.

O’Neal was a popular figure, and people wanted him to appear in music videos and television shows. He was one of the most well-known celebrities during his NBA career. If you weren’t watching him play basketball, you would see him on commercials or doing something else. O’Neal was always on the move doing something and making money.

The famous movie that Shaquille O’Neal wanted to play in

O’Neal had his eye on one movie, and that was the first ‘X-Men’ movie that came out in 2000. He was a big Marvel fan and wanted to play a specific character in the movie. In an interview with the Observer, ‘X-Men,’ producer Ralph Winter talked about O’Neal’s interest in the movie. “Shaquille O’Neal showed up at the offices and wanted to play Forge, who wasn’t in the movie,” he said.

Can you imagine O’Neal being in that movie? That would have been a sight to see. You can see how much O’Neal enjoyed acting with him wanting to have a role in one of the most successful movies in the world. O’Neal always loves to have fun no matter what he’s doing, and he continues to have fun to this day. But just think about if he starred in the ‘X-Men.’