Lakers C SHAQUILLE O'NEAL received his Bachelor's
degree from LA STATE UNIV. (LSU) on Friday, and during the
ceremony, LSU Chancellor DR. MARK EMMERT joked, "I'd like to
thank Mr. O'Neal for dramatically increasing the starting
salary of this graduating class" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/16).
O'Neal also "delivered some words of advice" to his fellow
graduates during the exercises when he said, "All the young
people think money and fame are important, but you need an
education to be secure in life" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE,
12/16). Lakers Assistant coach Jim Cleamons wrote in his
weekly column in the L.A. DAILY NEWS that O'Neal "sent a
wonderful message to young people and other players in the
NBA this week" by graduating (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 12/17).
FoxSports.com's Darryl Richards wrote that the NBA and LSU
"will showcase O'Neal's academic accomplishment to tell kids
to stay in school" (FoxSports.com, 12/15). But in N.Y.,
Phil Mushnick writes that he was discouraged by all the
attention given to O'Neal: "If my kid spent four years and
all of my money earning a degree from LSU, I don't know how
pleased I'd be to see the school turn Graduation Day into
Shaquille O'Neal Degree In General Studies Shaq-Foo Circus
Day. In fact, I'd resent it" (N.Y. POST, 12/18).
