After 19 years in the NBA, four-time world champion Shaquille O’Neal announced his next big career move on Thursday – the “Big AARP” will will take the fourth chair alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson on TNT’s emmy-award winning show, Inside The NBA.

O’Neal, the 15-time NBA All-Star center who retired from the sport earlier this June, has been named a full-time television NBA analyst for Turner Sports. Turner provides NBA coverage for TNT, NBA TV and NBA.com, which will also be a part of Shaq’s job description.

“I can’t wait to begin my new career with Turner,” O’Neal said. “Over the past several years the team at Turner has taken the NBA and entertainment, in general, to a whole new level. I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the amazing team at Inside the NBA and I hope I can further the fans experience on a regular basis.”

O’Neal, who says he still expects to run for sheriff in the future, will be part of TNT’s coverage of All-Star Weekend — scheduled next season for Orlando, Fla., his first NBA home — and the playoffs.

His forthcoming on screen partner, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, is looking forward to the partnership and already has a new nickname to add to Shaq’s never ending list of monikers.

“The addition of ‘The Big Analytical’ will be terrific,” Smith said in a statement. “I can’t wait to make verbal passes to the most dominant center of our time.”

What are your thoughts on O’ Neal joining the TNT crew? Can you trump Smith’s nickname for Shaq?

via Christian Post

Shaquille O’ Neal to Join Barkley as TNT Analyst is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is this gonna be one of those Hova retirements where you come back every year or two with a hot new joint, Shaq?

Shaq dropped the news with a simple message and a link to a video on Twitter. The basketball legend said, “im [sic] retiring Video,” and left a link to a quick clip. In the clip, Shaq is seated at an office desk and states:

“We did it… 19 years, baby. I want to thank you very much. That’s why I’m telling you first that I’m about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon.”

O’Neal hasn’t elaborated yet, via Twitter or any other medium.

Update- Shaq adds:

Shaq ooout. #ShaqRetires http://www.tout.com/9944wo

Shaq on Twitter: I’m Retiring- Shaq Out! is a post from: The Inquisitr

Shaunie O’Neal has opened up about the upcoming third series of VH1′s Basketball Wives, and the former Mrs. Shaq says the drama level is high.

O’Neal says, however, that she won’t be ragging on her athlete ex-husband. Although the pair divorced in 2007, she says it’s important to keep it positive for their kids:

“It was important to me, because we have kids, that we stay cool,” she said. “We don’t have to be BFF. We don’t have to talk every day or anything like that, but we’re parents first and it’s important that we stay good.”

Shaunie, who has a new line of shoes in the work as well as an additional VH1 series and a book, does say the series will delve into the “personal” in the upcoming episodes:

“Along with our normal drama you’ll get to dip into the ladies personal lives a little more,” said O’Neal, who executive produces and stars on the series. “More kids, you’ll get to meet some of the ladies parents and hear their story a little more. It becomes a little more personal this season.”

Basketball Wives season three premieres tonight.

‘Basketball Wives’ Drama Packed This Season, Says Shaunie O’Neal is a post from: The Inquisitr

Basketball great Shaquille ONeal has reportedly rebounded from his divorce to former wife Shaunie O’Neal by allegedly getting engaged to reality TV star “Hoopz.”

According to reports, Sam David, a St. Louis restaurant owner claims that Shaq popped the question to his companion on the middle of his dancefloor Monday evening. David also claims that Hoopz wore the ring, indicating that she had accepted the proposal.

At the time of writing the pair have neither denied, nor confirmed the report.

Hoopz, aka Nicole Alexander, is best known for winning the VH1 reality television shows Flavor of Love and I Love Money. She received her nickname, Hoopz, on Flavor of Love. She was last reported to be dating James Jackson, the CBA ALL-Star from the East Kentucky Miners.

Shaquille O’Neal And Flavor of Love Star Hoopz Reportedly Engaged is a post from: The Inquisitr

The all-powerful ESPN sports media network is choosing not to report on some pretty big stories recently: the Erin Andrews peephole video and the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault case. It’s not hard to figure out why.

In the case of Andrews, at least, ESPN is looking very much like it’s taking the high moral ground. Their star sideline reporter has had her privacy grossly invaded with not only illegally obtained video of her in a hotel room propagating its way across the Internet, but even mainstream publications like the New York Post publishing screen grabs on their front page. In contrast, ESPN’s stated decision to not report on the story, big as it has been across the Web, looks like a prudent and classy decision.

On the subject of Ben Roethlisberger, however, their reasoning seems a little suspect. Even the NFL has now talked about how they will look into the civil lawsuit filed by an employee of the Harrah’s casino chain alleging that not only did Roethlisberger sexually assault her in a hotel room, but that the Harrah’s management covered it up.

Could it be that ESPN is protecting its relationship with Roethlisberger, who recently filmed a segment on the upcoming reality television show Shaq Vs., with Shaquille O’Neal, on ESPN’s sister station ABC? Big Ben filmed the segment after the scandal broke but the network canceled a press conference to publicize it.

On defence, ESPN is dodging some big sport stories is a post from: The Inquisitr

Shaquille O’Neal made fun of his new Cavaliers boss Danny Ferry at their joint press conference today with a saucy picture of Shaq bending over Ferry he had downloaded from the Internet.

Shaq recently joined the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose general manager Ferry is a former 723-game legend of the franchise. At a press conference with Ferry today wearing a striking pink shirt and tie under his suit, Shaq unrolled a printout of a shot of the small forward bent over in front of Shaq during his playing days.

“I know Danny was a great player, a pretty good player. The other day when I got a call from Danny I was like ‘Danny Ferry, Danny Ferry.’ Then I had to check my computer to see who Danny Ferry was, and this is what came up on the Internet. That’s the first picture that comes up on Google, you’ve got to take care of that.”

Man, that is one pink shirt and tie.

Video of Shaq’s Danny Ferry joke is a post from: The Inquisitr

As the Inquisitr speculated yesterday, the LA Lakers have let Trevor Ariza go and signed Ron Artest from the Houston Rockets to replace him as their small forward. It’s good to get one right!Ariza rejected the Lakers’ basement price bid for his services in the 2010 NBA season, which allowed the Rockets and Lakers to swap players as Houston had not been pursuing Artest for a new contract, according to the Houston Chronicle.

While Ariza will be getting a pay rise at Houston, Artest is reported to be cutting his wages in attempt to chase a title ring to below that of Ariza. Ariza’s new Rockets team mate Yao Ming won’t be back until half way through the 2010 season after surgery on a stress fracture in his left foot.

Time will tell whether the trio of Kobe Bryany, Pau Gasol and Artest will look as formidable as the Celtics tirumvirate of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen did during 2006. It certainly seems that all the big-name talent is congregating in a few NBA teams.

Confirmed: Artest in, Ariza out for LA Lakers is a post from: The Inquisitr