Shaq Attacks the Art World

When Shaquille O’Neal first entered the NBA, way back in ’92, his reputation for aggressive hardwood domination and monstrous dunks preceded him from LSU. It seems that it is the same wherever he goes. Last Friday his debut as art curator through the Flag Art Foundation with the show Size Does Matter shows that Shaq Attack (or to Shaq attack or to attack like Shaq) continues to be a verb denoting unstoppable momentum on and off the court.

Who could have guessed in the Penny/Shaq days–the Orlando Magic years–that the backboard shattering Shaq would go on to act in several movies, put out a number of rap albums, star in a few reality tv shows and even in his own fighting game, ‘Shaq Fu,’ released for the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo! And all this in addition to serving as a reserve police officer for the L.A. Port Police and later for the Miami Beach Police. His entrepreneurial ventures–for which he went back to school to get an MBA–include real estate development and a program to help Orlando homeowners facing foreclosure. And in this, his newest role, as art curator, he has attacked with the same king-sized dimensions, hosting an art show of very large things. The show runs February 19-May 27, 2010, at the Flag Art Foundation in Chelsea. Art enthusiasts and basketball fans alike will be interested in the newest Shaq Attack.