Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 18, 1994 TAG: 9402180076
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ian Spelling
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"The Shaq," as O'Neal is known, seems to be scoring on all fronts. There are Shaq posters, an autobiography called "Shaq Attaq" (Hyperion, 1993), a Shaq basketball line for Spalding, a sneaker and clothing line for Reebok and television commercials for Pepsi.
O'Neal's first rap album, "Shaq Diesel" (Jive Records), has become a hit since its release late last year.
And now the 21-year-old is making his acting debut. O'Neal stars with Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard in "Blue Chips," which opens in Roanoke today.
Set in the world of college basketball, "Chips" features Nolte as Pete Bell, coach of the one-time college basketball champions, the Western University Dolphins.
After his first losing season, Bell reluctantly gives in to pressure from some of the school's alumni who want to foot the bill - illegally and secretly - to secure the talents of three young hoop phenoms (Anfernee Hardaway, Matt Nover and O'Neal) who can help reverse the Dolphins' fortunes.
O'Neal portrays Neon Bodeaux, a New Orleans wunderkind who is the only one of the three star recruits to refuse any under-the-table money or gifts.
Today, just a little more than an hour after playing a real-life basketball game against the Knicks in New York's Madison Square Garden, O'Neal saunters past dozens of sports and entertainment journalists to join "Chips" director William Friedkin and several others involved with the film for a press conference.
Despite the presence of basketball legend Bob Cousy, (who plays Western's athletic director) and actor J.T. Walsh (who portrays a slimy alumni booster), most of the reporters' questions are directed to O'Neal.
One of the first issues raised is the film's depiction of illegal player recruiting.
"In some programs this goes on," says O'Neal, who played college ball for Louisiana State University.
"It never went on for me. I was taught by my mother never to sell my soul.
"But it does go on. I remember going to some colleges and guys drove up in Benzes and BMWs, wore nice clothes. It does go on and I think Billy [Friedkin] did a good job of reflecting it."
When asked about the challenges of acting, O'Neal flashes a big smile.
"I was being a basketball player," he says. "I think I do good at basketball, so it was pretty easy for me."
Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director of "The French Connection" (1971), is a major basketball fan and had long wanted to make a film about the game.
When a script by Ron Shelton, who wrote "Bull Durham" (1988) and "White Men Can't Jump" (1991), landed in his hands, Friedkin jumped at the chance to direct.
O'Neal so enjoyed his time before the cameras that he plans to take on more acting roles in the future, perhaps beginning with "Terminator III."
"I think I'd beat Arnold [Schwarzenegger] up," he jokes. "I'd like to do an action-thriller type of movie, but at this point in time I'm not going to sign a big, lucrative, seven-movie deal."
by CNB