Shaquille O'Neal 'was in a funk' after retiring from NBA; deejaying as Diesel filled void

Shaquille O'Neal wowed fans for 19 years in the NBA as a big man with a big personality.

The four-time champion and 15-time All-Star has remained a household name as a commentator on TNT, endorsement extraordinaire and dubstep deejay.

Ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season opener in Denver, O'Neal told USA TODAY Sports his role as Diesel at colleges, Super Bowl parties and the biggest music festivals in the United States "gives me the adrenaline fix that I haven’t had in a while."

In August, he performed at Chicago's Lollapalooza, which had an estimated attendance of more than 400,000 people. The Hall of Famer posted on Instagram that the festival was "one of the most unforgettable sets of my DJ career."

O'Neal had the opportunity to play for the crowd at multiple NBA arenas because he said when he retired from the NBA in 2011, he felt a void.

"From age 12 to 40, one day, two days a week, you get an hour, ‘Yeah,’ ‘Woo’ to get out, so I was used to that," he said prior to taking the stage for "Inside the NBA."

"So when it stopped, it kind of took me to a state I’d never been to before. I don’t like to use the D-word (depression), because I know there’s a lot of people that are really D’ed, but I was in a funk."

He said that every once in a while he'd get that boost of energy when he received applause at a Los Angeles restaurant, "but 30 seconds is not enough, you need an hour or so."

According to the Los Angeles Times, O'Neal fell in love with music festivals when he attended 2014's TomorrowWorld, a festival that no longer exists. He now blends dubstep and rap hits into sets that he plays for crowds much larger than those that cheered him on as a basketball star.

The former Los Angeles Lakers big man also releases rap music under the "Diesel" moniker. His 1993 album "Shaq Diesel" went platinum. On Friday, Rick Ross and Meek Mill released a remix of their track "Shaq & Kobe" that featured verses from Damian Lillard and O'Neal.

The role of a deejay has reinvigorated O'Neal and he said it empowers him to give others an experience as well. He incorporates hints of his playing days, like using his Superman logo in his graphics, to remind fans who he is.

"Deejaying is similar to basketball. You gotta put on a show," he said. "If people pay money to see you perform, you have to put on a show."