This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal is now a reserve police officer in South Florida.

Doral police chief Donald De Lucca swore the retired player in during a ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. O’Neal had originally applied in September. He will not receive a salary and will cover his own insurance costs.

O’Neal will commute to work from his homes in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. De Lucca told the Miami Herald that O’Neal will mostly be doing community work, serving as a role model for children. “We’re honored to have him as part of our team,” he said. “He’s a role model for today’s youth. He believes in the nobility of our profession.”



O’Neal has previously served as a reserve police officer for Miami Beach and Golden Beach in Florida, where De Lucca was also police chief, as well as in Tempe, Arizona and the Port of Los Angeles. Two of O’Neal’s uncles were police officers, while his stepfather was a sergeant in the army.

O’Neal told the Herald that he wanted to become a police chief or sheriff in the future, and hoped to learn from De Lucca. “He’s a great leader. I’m learning from him, watching him. He’s a good friend of mine, and in order to become a great leader, you have to master their style and then create your own style.”



During O’Neal’s two-decade career, he played in Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston.