Shaquille O’Neal Wants to Get Back Into Acting: ‘A Long Way Since ‘Kazaam” (Exclusive)

Shaquille O'Neal is ready to shoot and score in Hollywood. After a successful career in the NBA, the retired athlete is hoping to explore more acting opportunities in the months to come. 

"I actually had three meetings today," O'Neal exclusively shared with The Messenger while opening his fifth 'Comebaq Court' with Icy Hot and The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation on Thursday. "I wanted to be respectful of everybody during the strike, but I came out to Los Angeles for this event and I set up some meetings here."

In recent years, the NBA player has been able to land roles in notable projects like The Lego Movie, the Scary Movie franchise and The Simpsons. While he's not quite ready to share what's next, O'Neal is excited about the future.  

"I got a lot of positive things in the works. I always tell people I've come a long way since Kazaam," he joked when referencing his 1996 family comedy. "Just having the opportunity to work and having the opportunity to make people smile and do really good things excites me."

However, one project not on his immediate to-do list is hosting Saturday Night Live. Although he brings the laughs on his social media pages and during coverage of NBA games with close friends like Charles Barkley, O'Neal said he doesn't have the time to fully commit.  

"That show makes you come out there on Monday and I don't have time to be staying in New York all week," he explained. "I ain't got time."

But for the record, he doesn't mind stars like Jay Pharoah and Kevin Hart impersonating him on the NBC series. 

"I was known as the class clown so I like to laugh," O'Neal shared. "When you're a comedian, you're making a joke. I'm gonna laugh with you... I'm not the guy to take myself seriously and ask, 'Why do you say that?' I don't have time for that."

What he does have time for is surprising kids with 'Comebaq Courts' — an initiative to rehabilitate basketball courts in underserved communities. Earlier this week, O'Neal visited the Challengers Boys & Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles to announce the opening of a fifth court. 

"A lot of people call it giving back, but I basically put it down to the fact that this is what my parents taught me to do," he said. "Growing up, courts were a place to go and most of the courts I've played at were somewhat clean. When I ride around now, I see a lot of courts that need to be refurbished. We're going to pick certain areas with my foundation along with Icy Hot and we're going to refurbish courts. We're going to give these kids a place to play."