Shaquille O’Neal was back in the Hub City DJing a pregame concert ahead of Saturday’s Texas Tech football game and visiting his high-performing southwest-Lubbock chicken restaurant.
Performing under his stage name DJ Diesel, Shaq took the stage in Raider Alley a few hours prior to the Red Raiders’ 2:30 p.m. game with Arizona State. Tech beat the Sun Devils 30-22, improving to 3-1 on the season.
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Dj Diesel, aka former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal, performs at Raider Alley ahead of the Red Raiders’ 2:30 p.m. game against Arizona State University. pic.twitter.com/QKgw2y0GRL
— The Daily Toreador (@DailyToreador) September 21, 2024
As DJ Diesel, O’Neal plays electronic dance music (EDM). Why? In his own words, “I only do this because I really love it.”
Shaq gained the nickname “Diesel” during his NBA career, pointing to his power and endurance on the court, according to Avalanche-Journal archives. And he’s been making music for more than 30 years, releasing a platinum-selling hip-hop album titled “Shaq Diesel” during his rookie season in 1993.
DJ Diesel last performed in Lubbock in 2021 at Raider Alley, that time ahead of Tech’s win over Stephen F. Austin.
On Saturday, O’Neal hyped up a packed-out crowd at Texas Tech’s Engineering Key just south of Jones AT&T Stadium.
Shaq even flashed a “guns up” at the crowd, to the delight of Tech fans who had gathered to hear his set.
After his Raider Alley appearance, Shaq headed out to his new Big Chicken restaurant in southwest Lubbock — reportedly the top-performing franchise in the company.
Big Chicken, a fast-food chain owned by O’Neal and known for its sandwiches and fries, opened in August at 7411 Milwaukee Ave. The Lubbock location is operated by local franchisee Coby Jones, a Lubbock native who began his career with a local restaurant group in 1989, the A-J reported.
More: Shaq’s Big Chicken confirms opening date for new Lubbock restaurant location, giveaways
According to social media posts from members of local media, Shaq visited the Lubbock location Saturday and took photos with fans, signed autographs and ate lunch. The location is the No. 1-performing franchise in the nation, the posts reported.
After DJing Raider Alley, Shaq was out at the Big Chicken he owns in Lubbock which is the #1 Big Chicken in the country! He ate, took pictures, signed some autographs and left, pretty cool! @KCBD11 pic.twitter.com/HcevUyTdZd
— Zach Fox (@ZachFoxSports1) September 21, 2024
The A-J’s Adam D. Young and the USA TODAY Network’s Nate Chute contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Shaq visits Texas Tech football game, Big Chicken in Lubbock
