Up for sale is a Shaquille O'Neal basketball action figure made in 1996 by Starting Lineup Sports Super Star Collectibles. It is an official NBA licensed product. The figure comes from their regular series issue that year and the figure features Shaq wearing an Orlando Magic jersey.
After graduating from high school, O'Neal studied business at Louisiana State University. He had first met Tigers coach Dale Brown years earlier in Europe when O'Neal's stepfather was stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany. While playing for Brown at LSU, O'Neal was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men's basketball player of the year in 1991; he was also named college player of the year by AP and UPI. O'Neal left LSU early to pursue his NBA career, but continued his education even after becoming a professional player. He was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame. A 900-pound bronze statue of O'Neal is located in front of the LSU Basketball Practice Facility.
After playing college basketball for the LSU Tigers, O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. He quickly became one of the best centers in the league, winning Rookie of the Year in 1992–93 and leading his team to the 1995 NBA Finals. After four years with the Magic, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. They won three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, and his fourth NBA championship followed in 2006. Midway through the 2007–2008 season he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. After a season-and-a-half with the Suns, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009–10 season. O'Neal played for the Boston Celtics in the 2010–11 season before retiring.
Neal's individual accolades include the 1999–2000 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award; the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award; 15 All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards; three Finals MVP awards; two scoring titles; 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year.
He ranks 8th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 15th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks. O'Neal was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team in 1996. Due to his ability to dunk the basketball and score from close range, O'Neal also ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%). O'Neal was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017. In October 2021, O'Neal was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Included on the hanging display card are a 6-inch action figure of the player in his NBA uniform when he played with the Los Angeles Lakers. Also include on the hanging display card is a basketball trading card by NBA Hoops exclusively produced for the series.
The figure and card set is in mint condition inside its near-mint original packaging . . . it has never been opened, there is no fading, no corner nubs on the hanging card, no creases or bends, no bubble damage. I purchased the figure new and have stored it since purchased. It has never been displayed.
Starting Lineup (SLU) was a brand of action figures produced from 1988 to 2001, first by Kenner and later by Hasbro. The figures became very popular, and eventually included sports stars from baseball, football, basketball, hockey, auto racing, boxing, track & field, skating, soccer, and golf. The trading cards included with the figures are becoming desired collectibles in their own right.