Hold off on the nickname search for Dr. O’Neal.

In an interview with the New York Times ^[3], new Celtic Shaquille O’Neal said that he is working on his doctorate at Barry University and once that degree is obtained he no longer wants to be called “Shaq” and that he is no longer in the business of crafting nicknames for himself.

“I’m done with the nicknames,” O’Neal said. “Actually, when I obtain my doctorate, I will not allow people to call me Shaq anymore, either.”

Also of note in the interview:

• - The last time he “panicked” was as a 9-year-old when he tried lighting the tail of a teddy bear on fire. “My thing was to just light the tail and then blow it out and laugh. Ha, ha. But as soon as I lit the tail, the whole thing caught on fire. It almost caught the house on fire. I got the whooping of my life,” O’Neal explained in the interview.
• - His goal is to pass Wilt Chamberlain in scoring and win at least one more championship.
• - He hasn’t spoken with LeBron James since James signed with the Heat.
• - The topic for his dissertation will be “How Leaders Utilize Humor or Aggression in Leadership Styles.”

To read the entire interview click here. ^[3]