At home with Shaquille O'Neal

Ebony, March, 1995 by Lisa C. Jones

During down time, the young star enjoys the company of family and close friends. His mom, who helps with his fan mail, drops by his house regularly, sometimes bringing his favorite meal: fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. O'Neal enjoys entertaining guests in his fantasy game room, which includes coinless arcade-style video games, a digital pinball game that bears his name, a pool table, vending machine and a life-size alien figurine. For further R&R, he takes his pet rottweilers, Thor and Shazam, for walks, or cruises around town blaring hip-hop beats in one of his four customized vehicles.

It can be difficult to stay centered when your face is regularly plastered on T-shirts, toys and autographed photographs that sell for as much as $750, but O'Neal, who is expected to gross $100 million by his 25tb birthday, says his strong upbringing helps to keep him grounded. "The secret is not to be Hollywood. I'm real. I'm myself," O'Neal says. "Right now, it's my time. one day [the limelight] will belong to someone else."

Until then, the basketball/entertainer extraordinaire says, "I'm just a big kid, living it up and enjoying life."