Shaquille O'Neal Says Becoming a DJ Saved Him from Feeling Lost After NBA Retirement (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty

SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty

Many know him as an NBA legend, butShaquille O’Nealhas made another name for himself:DJ Diesel.The 52-year-old former basketball player says that his second life as a DJ has offered him a similar feeling to what he once experienced as a professional basketball player.“I started DJing because it gives me the same adrenaline boost that a championship game would give me,” he tells PEOPLE.O’Neal admits that he didn’t know what to do with his free time after retiring from theNBA. “I was lost because I had planned to retire two years after I retired. So I wasn’t really prepared,” he explains.Focus on Sport/Getty ImagesThe sports analyst continues, “I’ve been playing since I was 14 years old and always had that step into the arena feeling of the game. I always had that hour and a half or so. And when I stopped playing, I didn’t have that.”The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Figuring out what was next for himself, O’Neal decided to pick up an old skill, and the enjoyment he got from it surprised him.“I went to this concert and I got the same feeling again. I was like, ‘You know what? I used to do this. Lemme see if I can pick it up again’,” he says. “So yeah, it’s fun, but it only lasts an hour and a half.”Along with DJing, O’Neal says he spends his time “working hard and staying out of trouble.” “One of my motto’s is ‘It could be worse.’ I haven’t played professional basketball in 20 years, but yet I’m still working and my schedule is full. I’m thankful for that.“He’ll be back on this fall as an analyst for NBA on TNT, and will also headline theSports Illustrated LIV Golf Experience inDallas on September 21stas DJ Diesel.Thomas E Briglia/PhotoGraphics 2023/ShutterstockAt 52, O’Neal says working as much as he does is a blessing.“I know a lot of people in my position don’t have anything going on, they just wake up and are lost. So the fact that I’m working, it’s a blessing,” the former NBA star says. “So any job I can get, I’ll just continue to do because one day I’ll be in that position where I won’t be able to do it anymore.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.O’Neal is looking forward to working for many years to come, especially as DJ Diesel. “Hopefully I can go another 10, 20 years,” he says. “But if not, I had fun doing it and doing it my way.”

Many know him as an NBA legend, butShaquille O’Nealhas made another name for himself:DJ Diesel.

The 52-year-old former basketball player says that his second life as a DJ has offered him a similar feeling to what he once experienced as a professional basketball player.

“I started DJing because it gives me the same adrenaline boost that a championship game would give me,” he tells PEOPLE.

O’Neal admits that he didn’t know what to do with his free time after retiring from theNBA. “I was lost because I had planned to retire two years after I retired. So I wasn’t really prepared,” he explains.

Focus on Sport/Getty Images

The sports analyst continues, “I’ve been playing since I was 14 years old and always had that step into the arena feeling of the game. I always had that hour and a half or so. And when I stopped playing, I didn’t have that.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Figuring out what was next for himself, O’Neal decided to pick up an old skill, and the enjoyment he got from it surprised him.

“I went to this concert and I got the same feeling again. I was like, ‘You know what? I used to do this. Lemme see if I can pick it up again’,” he says. “So yeah, it’s fun, but it only lasts an hour and a half.”

Along with DJing, O’Neal says he spends his time “working hard and staying out of trouble.” “One of my motto’s is ‘It could be worse.’ I haven’t played professional basketball in 20 years, but yet I’m still working and my schedule is full. I’m thankful for that.”

He’ll be back on this fall as an analyst for NBA on TNT, and will also headline theSports Illustrated LIV Golf Experience inDallas on September 21stas DJ Diesel.

Thomas E Briglia/PhotoGraphics 2023/Shutterstock

At 52, O’Neal says working as much as he does is a blessing.

“I know a lot of people in my position don’t have anything going on, they just wake up and are lost. So the fact that I’m working, it’s a blessing,” the former NBA star says. “So any job I can get, I’ll just continue to do because one day I’ll be in that position where I won’t be able to do it anymore.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

O’Neal is looking forward to working for many years to come, especially as DJ Diesel. “Hopefully I can go another 10, 20 years,” he says. “But if not, I had fun doing it and doing it my way.”

source: people.com