Dr. Shaquille O’Neal Preps For Matai Title With Samoan Pride Photo
Dr. Shaquille O'Neal with his Samoan ulafala, to’oto’o and fue.
Photos: Supplied
Basketball hall of famer Dr. Shaquille O’Neal is raring to go for his 2023 Samoa Games trip with the legend already showing his love for Samoa in photos that were released on the internet this week.
Dr. O’Neal is scheduled to touch down on Samoan soil in May of 2023, Tumanuvao Evile Falefatu, the local contact for Shaq told EyeSpy Radio.
The bestowment of a matai title from the village of Leulumoega has been added to Dr. O’Neal’s itinerary.
However, the title that will be conferred on the basketball great has yet to be determined, Tumanuvao said.
“Our family will decide. It’s a title from village Leulumoega,” he said.
“This is a token of his trip to Samoa for the Samoa Games.”
Tumanuvao, who works for the Samoa Airport Authority (S.A.A.), took a trip to the United States of America on airport business early this year in November.
The trip took him to Washington D.C., Atlanta, Georgia and Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I was in America for two and a half weeks. Oh, America is so beautiful right now,” said Tumanuvao.
“That is where we sealed the deal – in Las Vegas,”
The strong advocate for basketball met with Dr. O’Neal in between airport business.
“You know what he is so happy. His schedule is fully booked but he is willing to come and he is happy,” Tumanuvao said.
“We are only waiting for the confirmation of his dates of travel. The dates will be finalised by his events manager.”
The purpose of Dr. O’Neal’s trip to Samoa is to create a pathway for Samoa’s youth – a new avenue for children in Samoa to play basketball in America and study there.
Samoa is a rugby nation but Tumanuvao notes that basketball is more lucrative than rugby.
“That’s the plan. We are trying to create pathways for our boys and girls not only to play basketball but to study in America. That’s the main reason we are pushing this,” he said.
“The purpose of this to create a pathway for our youth because we are more on rugby but the money you get from rugby does not compare to what you get from playing basketball. We have the potential.”
Dr. O’Neal runs basketball programmes for youth ages 10 through 18 in Atlanta.
Young athletes from Samoa who travel to Atlanta to play will be hosted by Dr. O’Neal, said Tumanuvao.
On Wednesday Samoan pride photos of the basketball legend were released by his local contact.
In one photo, Dr. O’Neal is smiling widely and wearing an ulafala, holding a tootoo and a whisk. His tanoa can be seen in the image.
“I bought and took all those things with me to America,” said Tumanuvao.
“I gave him clothes from Eveni, Siva Tau and a fue, tootoo, an ulafala, a tanoa and a plaque for his wall.”
The photograph was captured in Atlanta where Dr. O’Neal lives.
The plaque presented to Dr. O’Neal reads: “We rise by lifting others.”
It is a famous quote authored by Robert Ingersoll and shared often by the 7 foot, 1-inch tall basketball great and businessman.
Dr. O’Neal has an estimated net worth of more than $400 million U.S. dollars. He is one of the richest athletes in the world and a philanthropist who founded The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation that gives back to children.
Dr. O’Neal retired from the N.B.A. on 1 June, 2011 and is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (2016).
He is a four-time N.B.A. champion and the only N.B.A. player to ever hold three degrees.
Dr. O’Neal played college ball for Louisiana State University (L.S.U.) but he left in his junior year for the N.B.A. In 1991, he was named College Player of the Year (1991) and twice named a unanimous first team All-American (1991, 1992).
Dr. O’Neal earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from L.S.U. in 2000, a Master’s of Business Administration (2005) and a Doctorate of Education (2012), both from Barry University in Florida.
He is an N.B.A. analyst, owner of more than 170 restaurants, 150 car washes and is part owner of the N.B.A.’s Sacramento Kings.
A fun fact about the legend: his shoe size is 22.
Tumanuvao is working out details for Dr. O’Neal’s trip like accommodations and transport with his management team.
He owes this colossal development for the sport of basketball in Samoa to Jesus Christ.
“You need to have faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Everything we do, we do it with faith and that’s the thing, if we don’t have faith nothing will happen. Line upon line, precept upon precept, that is how He answers our prayers,” Tumanuvao told EyeSpy Radio.
“Shaq, he’s a good man. He is humble and he is a down-to-earth kind of person. He has a loving heart. He loves his people and his family. We are praying and we are happy and we are excited. This is what GOD can do. GOD will provide the way for everything.”
Dr. O’Neal has earned many nicknames that attest to his prowess on the basketball court, names like Shaq, Big Diesel and Superman.
He will travel to Samoa by private jet as initially reported when EyeSpy broke the story in late September of 2022.