Abu Dhabi basketball fans were given a surprise treat on Monday when celebrity player Shaquille O'Neal hit a local court to shoot some hoops. The 50-year-old ex-NBA star was having lunch in the capital when he took a break to play at a nearby court. "My family are over visiting and I live on Reem, so we were down in Santorini on Reem and he was having lunch too with his entourage," said James McGill, 36, who easily spotted the star, who measures a lofty 216 centimetres, in the restaurant. "We followed him along to shoot some hoops at Reem park." Known as 'Shaq', the now-sports analyst for<i> Inside the NBA</i> spent time posing for photos with fans as well as showing off his talents on the court. When asked about his interaction with the star, Mr McGill said he was a "sound guy". "[It was} just him being amazing with the locals," he said. "He took the time to walk to the park and was applauded on to the basketball court by all the kids playing there. "Everyone chanting ‘Shaq Shaq Shaq!’ And he took the time to take selfies with everyone." The four-time NBA champion is in the UAE for the first time in his role as <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/2022/06/28/shaquille-oneal-announces-nba-abu-dhabi-games-2022/">ambassador for the 2022 NBA Abu Dhabi Games</a>. O’Neal, a superstar centre who graced teams including Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat during a 19-year playing career, also participated in a variety of interactive fan events and youth development programmes. The Abu Dhabi Games are part of a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/2021/11/16/nba-to-bring-games-to-the-uae-after-signing-multiyear-partnership-with-dct-abu-dhabi/">multiyear partnership</a> between the NBA and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, under which the first <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/family/2022/06/02/jr-nba-abu-dhabi-is-a-sporting-example-of-community-effort/">Junior NBA Abu Dhabi League</a> was launched this year, a youth basketball league for 450 boys and girls aged 11-14 from local schools.
