Few players in NBA history have been as dominant and bursting with personality as the man who simply goes by ‘Shaq’.

Turning 45 today, O’Neal managed to be larger than life, both literally at 7ft 1in and 325 pounds, and metaphorically as a superstar who embraced his fame.

He was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992, but it was with the Los Angeles Lakers where he truly became a household name, helping the renowned franchise to three straight titles from 2000-2002 while earning Finals MVP each time and the league’s MVP in 2000.

After moving on to the Miami Heat, he won another ring in 2006 before bouncing around from Phoenix to Cleveland to Boston at the tail end of his career.

Shaq is also known for his starring role in the film ‘Kazaam’ and now works as an analyst for TNT.

Other sport stars born on this day

1954: Harald Schumacher, ex-Germany goalkeeper who infamously fouled Patrick Battiston in 1982 World Cup (63).

1979: Tim Howard, goalkeeper for Colorado Rapids andowner of 111 international caps for United States (38).

1986: Jake Arrieta, baseball pitcher for Chicago Cubs who threw the only no-hitter in the 2016 regular season (31).

1989: Agnieszka Radwanska, Polish tennis player who was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2012 (28).