Well, it worked for Donald Trump. Why not Shaquille O’Neal? Is he the next celebrity to enter politics?
Trump, the former real estate mogul and billionaire businessman orchestrated an unconventional candidacy last year and ended up capturing the presidency. Could O’Neal take a page out of Trump’s playbook and win an election of his own?
Apparently, we will find out.
O’Neal, the former NBA great and current TNT analyst, announced Tuesday he will run for sheriff in either Georgia or Florida in 2020. That’s right. In a few years, O’Neal, 45, could be in charge of a police force. Let that sink in for a moment.
“This is about bringing people closer together,” O’Neal told WXIA in Atlanta. “When I was coming up, people love and respected the police, the deputies. And, I want to be the one to bring that back, especially in the community I serve.”
O’Neal on Tuesday did not announce which community he plans to serve but he resides in Henry County, Georgia, and owns two homes South Florida. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” he said.
If elected, O’Neal intends to build a stronger bridge between the law and citizens. He said his experiences will allow him to interact with a variety of cultures. “I can put on a suit and have a conversation with Bill Gates,” he said. “I can go in the hood and talk to the homies, and talk to the children.”
O’Neal was sworn in as a reserve police officer in Doral, Florida, in January 2015. He reportedly did not receive a salary and paid for all of his insurance costs. A uniform for his 7-foot-1 frame also was not available but he was issued a badge. Community work was to be his main beat, according to Newsone.com.
O’Neal previously served as a reserve police officer for the Port of Los Angeles, Tempe, Arizona, and Miami Beach, Florida.
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If the sheriff gig doesn’t work out, O’Neal is not counting on forging a political future. Apparently, he won’t follow Trump and eventually make a bid for the White House by initially running a regional campaign for mayor.
“This is not about politics,” he said. “No, I would never run for mayor.”