When Shaquille O'Neal opened up on favorite athletes/rappers in NBA

Shaquille O'Neal is a man of many talents. Besides being one of the most decorated players in NBA history, Shaq has also gained a lot of fame and success since retiring.

O'Neal is a DJ who's had tours in many cities all over the world. During his playing career, the basketball legend also released several rap albums, which is why he talked about other rappers in the league.

"I think Giannis Antetokounmpo should spit some bars," O'Neal said in a 2020 interview.

While the Milwaukee Bucks superstar hasn't released any rap albums yet, he's been mentioned in numerous songs by other artists. This comes as no surprise considering that he's an extremely talented and popular player.

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Shaquille O'Neal praises Damian Lillard's rap game

There are many rappers in the NBA today, but some of them have gained a lot of attention and recognition. Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers is arguably the greatest rapper in the league and no one else is even close.

The Trail Blazers guard is so good that he's not even trying to compete with other basketball players. Instead, Lillard considers himself an artist and considers other rappers his competition.

Since retiring from the NBA, Shaq has been a DJ, among many other things (Image via Getty Images)

Shaquille O'Neal recognizes how good Lillard is, which is why he praised him in a 2020 interview. The basketball legend also explained why he wants to hear Giannis Antetokounmpo rap:

"He’s the Greek Freak, so time to hear him get freaky on the mic," O'Neal said when asked about his favorite athlete-rappers. "Damian Lillard can go in too."

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The Milwaukee Bucks forward hasn't tried rapping yet. However, he's already revealed what his rap name would be. To nobody's surprise, Antetokounmpo would choose "The Greak Freak" as his name.

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Shaq's discography

Besides impressive basketball career, Shaquille O'Neal has several studio albums behind him. From 1993 to 1998, Shaq released four albums, with the first one peaking at number 25 on the Billboard 200.

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O'Neal's debut album, "Shaq Diesel," achieved a lot of success and was certified platinum. Due to this, the basketball star released his second album, "Shaq Fu: Da Return," a year later.

While his last studio album was released in September 1998, the talented rapper has released more than 15 singles. Shaq collaborated with Steve Aoki to bring "Welcome to the Playhouse" on Jan. 7, 2022.

Music is one of Shaq's passions, which is why he's been focused on it since retiring from the NBA. While he hasn't revealed any new rap albums yet, O'Neal said that he was in the studio every chance he got and that he was focused on bass music.