On Wednesday, Nov. 23, HBO will debut the first installment of four-part docuseries SHAQ at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Further installments will follow on the next three Wednesdays. The series, from director Robert Alexander and Peter Berg’s Film 45 company, will cover Shaquille O’Neal’s journey to NBA stardom, his time with the Lakers’ dynasty, the rest of his career, and then his journey into business and television. HBO released a trailer for the series Monday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph3h7CLAvtE
An interesting element of this series is the focus on O’Neal’s family. Some of the many interviewees spotlighted here are his mother, Dr. Lucille O’Neal, his siblings Jamal and Lateefah Harrison, and three of his children—Taahirah, Shareef, and Myles. The early part of that trailer shows off some of those comments from his mother and siblings, and it helps illustrate the personal side of this. And there’s a lot else in there too, including comments on O’Neal’s on-court play, his intensity, how he approaches branding and business, and his interest in being a rapper.
The first episode of SHAQ, “From Shaquille to Shaq,” will cover O’Neal’s childhood, path to the NBA, and early NBA stardom. The second episode, “The Rise,” will cover the start of his time with the Lakers. The third, “The Fall,” will look at the team’s three-peat, but also O’Neal’s exit from the team. The fourth, “From Shaq to Shaquille,” will look at his final NBA title with the Miami Heat and then his transition into the business and media worlds.
SHAQ is a Film 45 Production in association with Jersey Legends and Hardware Studios. Alexander directs and is an executive producer. Other executive producers are Berg, Matthew Goldberg, Brandon Carroll, Mike Parris, Perry Rogers, and Colin Smeeton, with co-executive producer Katy Murakami. For HBO, executive producers are Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Bentley Weiner, with Abtin Motia as coordinating producer.
The first episode of SHAQ debuts Nov. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. The series will also be available to stream on HBO Max.
