Shaquille O'Neal
Miami Heat center, www.heat.com
If every celebrity were like Shaquille O'Neal, the tabloids would go out of business. The Diesel is everything a basketball fan can hope for in a superstar: He doesn't take himself too seriously; he's generous with his riches; he's conscientious, even humble; and contrary to the type, he's hugely talented. When Shaq moved to South Florida from Los Angeles, everyone knew he'd make the Miami Heat a title contender, which he did. But we were oblivious to what a life force he is. From his sense of humor ("If I were a painter, you'd be calling me Shaqcasso") to his wisdom ("When you're righteous, you don't have to tell people you're righteous") he has won us over. When the season ended, he picked up his MBA from the University of Phoenix with 2,000 other, much shorter, graduates at a ceremony in Los Angeles. "Someday, I might have to put down a basketball and have a regular 9-to-5 like everybody else," he said.
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