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"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shaquille O'Neal celebrates his 41st birthday today. Here are 16 things you probably don't know about the massive man of multitudinous monikers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;1. He earned a doctoral degree -- not an honorary doctorate -- in education.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;His capstone topic was \"The Duality of Humor and Aggression in Leadership Styles.\"&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Aaron Davidson/WireImage&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;2. He made exactly one 3-pointer in his entire career.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Same as Kareem.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;3. He recorded the highest maximum vertical reach ever measured in pre-draft workouts.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He could extend 12 feet, 5 inches from a standing position.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Louisiana State University/Getty Images&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;4. If Kobe missed his next 5,468 foul shots in a row, he'd still have a better career free-throw rate than Shaq's 52.7 percent.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Only Wilt Chamberlain missed more free throws (5,805) than Shaq (5,317).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[youtube=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jsqK5nZQhk\"]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;5. That said, he ranks 19th all-time in free throws made.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ahead of Elgin Baylor, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Tim Duncan and John Havlicek.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;6.\u00A0He's released four studio albums.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That's in addition to a pair of compilation albums, two soundtracks, one unreleased album and nine singles.\u00A0His debut record, 1993's &lt;em&gt;Shaq Diesel&lt;/em&gt;, went platinum.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Focus on Sport/Getty Images&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;7.\u00A0He challenged Hakeem Olajuwon to a game of one-on-one with a typewritten and signed note shortly after losing to the Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The idea gathered steam, with Taco Bell even signing on to sponsor it as a pay-per-view event, but it never came off.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; @si_vault&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;8.\u00A0During the Screen Actors Guild strike of 2000, he was fined by the union for crossing the picket line to perform in a Disney commercial.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He was denounced as a scab when he filmed an \"I'm going to Disneyland!\" spot after winning his first NBA title.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;9. He was supposed to be with Biggie Smalls the night the rapper was killed.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The two had recorded a song together in 1993.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[youtube=\"http://youtu.be/HFc0iVlCEPY\"]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;10.\u00A0He was given an honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal title in 2005 and joined a task force to track down sexual predators who target children on the Internet.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Call him The Big Chris Hansen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; NBC&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;11. He\u00A0offered to pay for all funeral expenses for George Mikan.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The family accepted.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Peter Read Miller/SI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;12. Future teammate Glen \"Big Baby\" Davis was 15 when he challenged Shaq to a wrestling match.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It ended with Davis lifting O'Neal up and bodyslamming him to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; tumblr.com&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;13.\u00A0He earned an MBA online through the University of Phoenix in 2005.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CIt\u2019s just something to have on my resume (for) when I go back into reality,\u201D he said.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;14. He nearly\u00A0collabed on a song with the Smashing Pumpkins\u00A0during the late '90s.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Billy Corgan's backing track for the demo was loosely based on Dr. Dre.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; grungereport.net&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;15.\u00A0He is a Freemason.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He became a member of Widow's Son Lodge No. 28 in Boston in 2011.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; beginningandend.com&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;16.\u00A0He's tried to visit the president three times. Just to say hi.&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\n&lt;em&gt;Follow Bryan Armen Graham on Twitter.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2013/03/06/here-are-16-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-shaq-who-turns-41-today>