--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The biggest thing that will define my…" description: "\"The biggest thing that will define my legacy is how I've done it, and what I've done, and who I am. I'm a weird big guy. Doing rapping, doing movies. D..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/shaquille-o-neal-659_academy_the-biggest-thing-that-will-define-my-le_1279371.jpg" --- # The biggest thing that will define my legacy is how I've… ![“The biggest thing that will define my legacy is how I've done it, and what I've done, and who I am. I'm a weird big guy. Doing rapping, doing movies. Do a lot of stuff. But always do things the right way. Went to the police academy to become a police officer. Get his master's in criminal justice…” quote by Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/shaquille-o-neal-659_academy_the-biggest-thing-that-will-define-my-le_1279371.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/shaquille-o-neal-659_academy_the-biggest-thing-that-will-define-my-le_1279371.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/shaquille-o-neal-659_academy_the-biggest-thing-that-will-define-my-le_1279371.jpg) > “The biggest thing that will define my legacy is how I've done it, and what I've done, and who I am. I'm a weird big guy. Doing rapping, doing movies. Do a lot of stuff. But always do things the right way. Went to the police academy to become a police officer. Get his master's in criminal justice, stayed out of trouble. Played for three different teams. Changed three different franchises around. This is a guy who they would have secret meetings about to change the rules. So, that's going to be my legacy: the most dominant player ever.” [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legacy is defined by how one lives and contributes, not merely by achievements; integrity and impact matter most. **In simple terms:** Your lasting influence comes from character and actions. Key Takeaway Live with integrity and aim to uplift others. Themes legacy integrity impact leadership personal growth Mood motivational thoughtful Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - coaching - community service - business ventures - public speaking Key Concepts Sports psychology role modeling career transition Questions to Reflect On - What values will you embed in your legacy? - How do you balance ambition with humility? A Different Perspective Focusing only on dominance can overlook personal well‑being and relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academy/) [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Big guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-guy/) [Big guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-guys/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed/) [Criminal justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-justice/) [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Dominant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominant/) [Dominant Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominant-player-363472/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Going Legacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-legacy-4129592/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Legacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legacy/) [Legacy Dominant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legacy-dominant-4129591/) [Legacy Ve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legacy-ve-299484/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officers/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Police academy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-academy/) [Police officer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-officer/) [Rap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rap/) [Right way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-way/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Who i am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-i-am/) ## Related quotes > [True fans will appreciate what I've done and the legacy I've left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/true-fans-will-appreciate-what-i-ve-done-and-the-legacy-i-ve-left/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [I want to go to police academy, I want to actually go out and make a couple of arrests. I want to go undercover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-want-to-go-to-police-academy-i-want-to-actually-go-out-and-make-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I can be one of the dominant players, maybe the dominant player, in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-mcdyess/i-can-be-one-of-the-dominant-players-maybe-the-dominant-player-in-the/) [Antonio McDyess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-mcdyess/) > [When I was young I was on punishment a lot and I used to watch a lot of TV, and I asked myself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/when-i-was-young-i-was-on-punishment-a-lot-and-i-used-to-watch-a-lot/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [ I expect \[Donald\] Trump to do what he's done very successfully, which is, whether you like him or not, he will be the dominant… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-expect-donald-trump-to-do-what-he-s-done-very-successfully-which-is/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [The first three championships that I won, I won them. I had big numbers and I won them. And last year, the guys won…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/the-first-three-championships-that-i-won-i-won-them-i-had-big-numbers/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [My thing about camp is to come in and be who I am, which is the most dominant player in the game, That's who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lewis/my-thing-about-camp-is-to-come-in-and-be-who-i-am-which-is-the-most/) [Ray Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lewis/) > [At Maccabi, I played with a team that scored many goals and I was the dominant player, but that's not the case with Israel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eran-zahavi/at-maccabi-i-played-with-a-team-that-scored-many-goals-and-i-was-the/) [Eran Zahavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eran-zahavi/) > [Can I jump over two or three guys like I used to? No. Am I as fast as I used to be? No, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobe-bryant/can-i-jump-over-two-or-three-guys-like-i-used-to-no-am-i-as-fast-as-i/) [Kobe Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobe-bryant/) > [Everybody always asked why I wanted to be an offensive lineman. I told them that I had 11 different people I can hit on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/everybody-always-asked-why-i-wanted-to-be-an-offensive-lineman-i-told/) [Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/) > [My goal is to really be a dominant player in this league and have nobody question that. That's what I strive for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-wagner/my-goal-is-to-really-be-a-dominant-player-in-this-league-and-have/) [Bobby Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-wagner/) > [We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/we-live-in-a-society-of-laws-why-do-you-think-i-took-you-to-all-those/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [My instinct was always have your gun in your hand. Especially when you are telling somebody to do something. But, in fact, the police…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/my-instinct-was-always-have-your-gun-in-your-hand-especially-when-you/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Some of us have held the hands of friends or brothers as they struggled with military and police academy recruiters, and though many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/some-of-us-have-held-the-hands-of-friends-or-brothers-as-they/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [The 'Police Academy' stuff was all hyper-slapsticky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/the-police-academy-stuff-was-all-hyper-slapsticky/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) ## More by Shaquille O'Neal > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [And if the big dog ain't me, then the house won't get guarded - period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-if-the-big-dog-ain-t-me-then-the-house-won-t-get-guarded-period/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I don't send messages, I'm not a fax machine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-don-t-send-messages-i-m-not-a-fax-machine/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I told our guys they must not have cable because Antoine Walker knows how to play, Derek Anderson can play, Shandon Anderson knows how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-told-our-guys-they-must-not-have-cable-because-antoine-walker-knows/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I was really upset. I felt like they tried to limit me, whoever 'they' may be. So I just said to myself third quarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-was-really-upset-i-felt-like-they-tried-to-limit-me-whoever-they/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Keep in mind, I'm not allowed to be tough. I'm tamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/keep-in-mind-i-m-not-allowed-to-be-tough-i-m-tamed/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I'm still the baddest expletive in the world. Yeah, I'm getting older, but Kareem got older. Hakeem got older. I don't need Earthlings' respect.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-m-still-the-baddest-expletive-in-the-world-yeah-i-m-getting-older/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Write this: Since my boy is the coach, I'm going to try out for the Dolphins next year. Tight end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/write-this-since-my-boy-is-the-coach-i-m-going-to-try-out-for-the/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Everybody talks about being a role model. But if you look up the word 'role' in a dictionary, it describes playing a part. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/everybody-talks-about-being-a-role-model-but-if-you-look-up-the-word/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Why don't you bring your face up here and let me punch it? Then you can tell me (if I'm stronger).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/why-don-t-you-bring-your-face-up-here-and-let-me-punch-it-then-you/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I'm known as The Big Baryshnikov.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-m-known-as-the-big-baryshnikov/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Enunciation, diction, all that stuff. None of that is in my personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/enunciation-diction-all-that-stuff-none-of-that-is-in-my-personality/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I told Leonard, in the immortal words of Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2, 'I'm going on vacation. If I tell you where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-told-leonard-in-the-immortal-words-of-tom-cruise-in-mission/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Stats don't matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score 0 points and we win I'm happy. If I score 50, 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/stats-don-t-matter-i-care-about-winning-not-stats-if-i-score-0-points/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) [Explore all 422 Shaquille O'Neal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) ## More Academy quotes > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I realized early on that the academy and the literary world alike - and I don't think there really is a distinction between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/i-realized-early-on-that-the-academy-and-the-literary-world-alike-and/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [If all the Atheists & Agnostics left America, they'd lose 93% of The National Academy of Sciences & less than 1% of the prison population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/if-all-the-atheists-agnostics-left-america-they-d-lose-93-of-the/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [“Step Up Academy offers a conducive, encouraging, comfortable environment for children to step up their learning and achieve success. Our students progress within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerthiga-manokumar/step-up-academy-offers-a-conducive-encouraging-comfortable/) [Kerthiga Manokumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerthiga-manokumar/) > [I remember when I first won the Academy Award and how much I loved it. I just wish there was an award around that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-woodward/i-remember-when-i-first-won-the-academy-award-and-how-much-i-loved-it/) [Joanne Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-woodward/) > [Few years ago, I said something about the Academy being very white male, which is the reality, and I was slashed to pieces by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-delpy/few-years-ago-i-said-something-about-the-academy-being-very-white/) [Julie Delpy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-delpy/) > [I think that no matter whether you're Quentin Tarantino or any other kind of a rebel, or whatever, everyone who makes movies still wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-osborne/i-think-that-no-matter-whether-you-re-quentin-tarantino-or-any-other/) [Robert Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-osborne/) > [“Fuck Briarcrest Academy, and fuck you all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/fuck-briarcrest-academy-and-fuck-you-all/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [I don't really look forward to movie stardom or doing a $200-million movie or winning an Academy Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-don-t-really-look-forward-to-movie-stardom-or-doing-a-200-million/) [Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/) > [I am an outsider looking in, absolutely. You're not going to see me at the Academy Awards 'Vanity Fair' party any time soon. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/i-am-an-outsider-looking-in-absolutely-you-re-not-going-to-see-me-at/) [Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/) > [In all our academies we attempt far too much. ... In earlier times lectures were delivered upon chemistry and botany as branches of medicine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/in-all-our-academies-we-attempt-far-too-much-in-earlier-times/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The 'Police Academy' stuff was all hyper-slapsticky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/the-police-academy-stuff-was-all-hyper-slapsticky/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [The Academies of Art are nothing but great painting factories - those with talent are fed in at one end, and they come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-munch/the-academies-of-art-are-nothing-but-great-painting-factories-those/) [Edvard Munch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-munch/) > [Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/furnished-as-all-europe-now-is-with-academies-of-science-with-nice/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Browse all 557 Academy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The biggest thing that will define my legacy is how I've done it, and what I've done, and who I am. I'm a weird big guy. Doing rapping, doing movies. Do a lot of stuff. But always do things the right way. Went to the police academy to become a police officer. Get his master's in criminal justice, stayed out of trouble. Played for three different teams. Changed three different franchises around. This is a guy who they would have secret meetings about to change the rules. 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