Shaquille O'Neal adds surprising new title to NBA resume

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Shaquille O'Neal has worn plenty of hats since his NBA career ended.

In addition to being a basketball Hall of Famer, Shaq's become a businessman, charity organizer, TV analyst, and candy guru, to name a few. He can now add honorary FBI Special Agent to his growing list of accolades.

The 7-foot-1 NBA legend was given the new title on Thursday, Sept. 17, while attending the FBI National Academy's Session 299 graduation in Quantico, Virginia.

The title is honorary, meaning Shaq won't be taking on a federal caseload anytime soon.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the news, commending Shaq for his decades-long connection to law enforcement.

"This session is historic - FBI was honored to be joined by one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country - @Shaq - who graduated with this session and became an honorary FBI Special Agent," Patel wrote on X.

Photos from the ceremony showed Shaq proudly towering over Patel on stage while receiving a commemorative plaque and badge before addressing the class. The NBA veteran wore navy pants, a white shirt, and a blue tie for the special occasion.

Congratulations to our newest session of FBI National Academy graduates session 299 - represented by 265 law enforcement officials from around the country.

This session is historic - FBI was honored to be joined by one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country -… pic.twitter.com/GeIBiBf9Sr

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 17, 2026

Shaquille O'Neal's long history with law enforcement

While the title may sound unusual, Shaq's ties with law enforcement go back decades.

During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq enrolled in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Reserve Academy and endured years of training.

He has served as a reserve officer in multiple police agencies, including Los Angeles Port Police and the Miami Beach Police Department.

In 20025, while playing for the Miami Heat, O'Neal was awarded an honorary Deputy U.S. Marshal badge and publicly expressed his desire to pursue a career in law enforcement after playing basketball.

He has since been sworn in as a sheriff's deputy in Clayton, Georgia.

In his 2011 book, "Shaq Uncut," the NBA star revealed that his father influenced him to have a backup plan in case basketball didn't work out.

That inspired him to enroll in the L.A. Police Academy and pursue training to become a sheriff.

During his training, he recalled encountering several veteran cops who "went out of their way to treat me like s--- with their abuse and their orders and shouting in my ear."

"When they got all tough with me and yelled, ‘Drop and give me twenty push-ups!’ inside I was laughing because I was thinking, ‘My father would have made me do a hundred,'" he wrote in his book. "It was a lot of work, but I loved it," he added.

It's all water under the bridge now.

Not only did he make it in basketball, but he's now earned the recognition of the law enforcement world he once worked so hard to join.

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