Random Midday Hotness: The Diesel Leaves the Station.

Shaquille O’Neal, the most physically dominant (and hilarious) basketball player who ever lived, called it quits after 19 years in the NBA.

Four championships. A couple scoring titles. A million quotes.

But his greatest achievement? The last verse on the Fu-Schnickens‘ 1993 hit, “What’s Up, Doc.”

Basketball, while reliant on its giants, doesn’t exactly embrace them. Wilt, Russell and Kareem (and Dream to some extent) were all standoffish and the targets of derision from fans for their entire careers. (And yeah, a big part of that was because they were humongous and black.)

But Shaq was a pretty goofy goliath, busting out into breakdances for no reason a bestowing his teammates (and himself) with ridiculous nicknames. He’ll be missed.

G.D.

G.D.

Gene "G.D." Demby is the founder and editor of PostBourgie. In his day job, he blogs and reports on race and ethnicity for NPR's Code Switch team.
G.D.
  • i think you are mistaken,

    charles barkeley is the funniest basketball player alive.

  • blackink12

    How you gonna forget “You Can’t Stop the Reign,” my dude?

    • MH8D

      Biggie owned ‘You Can’t Stop the Reign’… Shaq’s verses are what keeps it from being perfect.

  • slb

    to this day, i randomly break out with, “i’m the hooper, hyper, protected by the Viper…” and then stop, b/c i have no idea what comes btwn that and “decipher.” then i jump back in at “‘else i’ma be a Shaq-knife and cut you with precision.”

    (… the hell is a Shaq-knife?)

  • distance88

    I’m pretty sure I had this on cassingle (yeah, that used to be a thing as far as I remember–if I cleaned out my closet I could tell you for sure). Can’t compare to “La Schmoove” though, as far as Fu-related artistry goes.