Shaq - by Timothy Bella (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From acclaimed journalist and author of Barkley Timothy Bella comes the definitive biography of basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, whose legacy extends across sports, business and pop culture.

At seven-foot-one and more than three hundred pounds, Shaquille O'Neal was impossible to ignore. As an athlete he shattered backboards and expectations, winning four NBA championships, forming a combustible partnerships alongside Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, and becoming one of the most dominant basketball players the world has ever seen.

But basketball was only one arena for a man determined to be everywhere at once. Shaq became a platinum-selling rapper, movie star, pitchman, entrepreneur, television personality, DJ, and one of the most recognizable people on the planet.

In this definitive biography, Timothy Bella tells the full story of Shaquille O'Neal, from an itinerant childhood and an uneasy relationship with a demanding stepfather, through his breathtaking rise at LSU and his transformation into an NBA and pop-culture phenomenon. Drawing on extensive reporting and revealing interviews with family members, teammates, coaches, rivals, executives, journalists, and friends, Bella goes behind the mythology to reveal an immensely gifted, complicated man driven by ambition, loyalty, insecurity, loss, humor, and an almost inexhaustible desire for approval.

Review Quotes

Praise for Timothy Bella

"We know first-hand and full well the kind of meticulous reporting and gifted writing skills Timothy Bella can bring to a book. Barkley is a vivid, mesmerizing portrait worthy of Sir Charles, arguably the most colorful and one of the most controversial figures in sport. We double dare you to put it down."--Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian, #1 New York Times bestselling authors of the Tiger Woods

"The definitive biography."--LitHub

"Thoroughly engaging...This is no ordinary sports bio, just as Barkley is no ordinary athlete."--Booklist STARRED review

"A pleasure for fans of the hard-charging legend."--Kirkus Reviews

"A must-read for basketball devotees, but even casual sports fans will be fascinated."--Publisher's Weekly STARRED review

"The definitive account of Barkley's life so far. Essential reading for all basketball fans."--Library Journal

"Nothing but net for basketball fans."--Good Morning America