Shaq Declines ESPN & ABC, Announces New Gig

Thursday afternoon, Shaquille O’Neal announced that he finalized his first gig post-retirement. And it’s not surprising at all that we will now be able to watch Shaq entertain viewers on TNT. He’s agreed to a multiyear deal with Turner Sports to provide NBA coverage, as analyst. He’ll join Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.

On a conference call, he explained, ”I’m just going to try to make it more fun than it already is.”

Apparently, the big man was in high demand, as he declined offers from ABC/ESPN and others upon retiring last month, but quickly chose the Turner offer, saying he wasn’t interested in creating a bidding war for his services.

His gig also includes contributions to NBA TV and NBA.com, and a development deal with Turner’s entertainment and animation networks. Peep the full story here.