15. “Shaqtus,” “The Big Cactus,” Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is a man of many nicknames. Seriously, it’s kind of insane. Google “Shaquille O’Neal nicknames” and you literally will have to scroll through them all.
What makes Shaq’s nicknames different is that many of them he made up himself. That would normally be nickname faux pas, but when he does it, it is kind of awesome.
When O’Neal first came to Phoenix, it was almost his top priority to find a good nickname for himself. As a play off one of his other nicknames, The Big Aristotle, Shaq went with “The Big Cactus” because why not? Later, during his short stent with Boston, he used “The Big Shamrock.”
My favorite during his time in Phoenix, however, was “Shaqtus”. Call me a sucker for a good pun.