Shaq

When Shaquille O’Neal officially retired last week after 19 seasons, he left the NBA as one of the most dominant big men of all time. O’Neal won four championships and three straight NBA Finals MVPs, but his personality just might be the most memorable part of his career. At no time was this more evident than when Shaq would give us his self-proclaimed nicknames such as “The Big Aristotle” and “Shaqfu” to name a few. So in honor of Shaq’s retirement, we passed the duties on to the fans. Here are the top 10 new nicknames given to him from musical legends Chuck D and 9th Wonder to college students:

10. “ShaqDonald’s”
Creator: 9th Wonder (Grammy Award-winning hip-hop producer)
Dime Says: Not only Shaq the basketball player, but Shaq the personality is his own huge franchise. McDonald’s might be America’s fast food, and you’re not American if don’t enjoy listening to O’Neal talk to the press.

9. “Shaqle”
Creator: Malcolm Wilkins (sophomore at UNC)
Dime Says: It’s very simple. When you talk about dominant NBA big men in the last 10-15 years, Shaq has the conversation on lock. And with his play, he’s put himself in the company of legends such as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as one of the greatest centers of all time.

8. “His Shaqness”
Creator: Veton Sinanaj (junior at SUNY Purchase)
Dime Says: Because like in the Dr. Pepper commercial, Shaq is so unique that there’s really no better way to describe him than with a made up noun derived from his own name. Will there ever be another player you wouldn’t want to be next to in the paint just as much as you would want to kick it with him off the court?

7. “Shaq-A-Roni And Cheese”
Creator: 9th Wonder (Grammy Award-winning hip-hop producer)
Dime Says: A cheesy (like that joke) play on words that I could see Shaq coming up with himself. Can’t you see Shaq saying “Shaq-A-Roni,” pointing to himself and then pointing up to his winning smile (the cheese).

6. “Giant Shaquaki Mushroom”
Creator: Victor Perry (junior at UNC)
Dime Says: A play on words based on the shitake mushroom, a food native to East Asia. I see Shaq as a worldly man. Can’t you just envision Shaq in the middle of Beijing amongst a huge Chinese crowd amazed at his size and even bigger personality? Then, Shaq raises his arms to silence the crowd and lets out a thunderous “I am the Great Shaquaki Mushroom!” It would almost be a surprise if there isn’t video evidence of this already happening.