How Shaquille O'Neal Changed The Game

Image via Wikipedia

By Marcus Vanderberg

For 19 seasons, Shaquille O'Neal did it his way -- right down to the retirement announcement.

The 7-foot-1, 325-pound (on a good day) center retired Wednesday via Tout, a new video social media platform.

"We did it, 19 years baby," said O'Neal. "I want to thank you very much. That's why I'm telling you first, I'm about to retire. Love ya, talk to you soon."

It's only fitting that the athlete with the most Twitter followers would break the news of his retirement via the Internet. Then again, nothing that the larger-than-life center does should surprise us when you look back at O'Neal's career.

After three years of dominating the Southeastern Conference at LSU, the Orlando Magic selected O'Neal with the top overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. CONTINUE....