Shaq Says He'll Run For Sheriff In Henry County In 2020

ATLANTA, GA -- Retired basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has made it into the record books in high school, college and in the NBA, but he is poised to add yet another badge to his illustrious career: Sheriff of Henry County.

Shaq owns a home in Henry, about 20 minutes from Atlanta, and he said earlier this year that top cop was the next job for him, it was just a question of where. (SIGN UP: For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. Or if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Read more: Shaq says he'll make a sheriff run in 2020 -- but where?

O'Neal left no doubts this week when he told the Washington Post that he plans to run for sheriff in Henry in 2020. Some thought he'd pick a place closer to his job. Shaq works in Midtown at TNT studios as an NBA analyst.

He has long had an affinity and respect for men in uniforms. His stepfather, Phil Harrison, was a hard-charging Army sergeant who taught Shaq how to be confident and comfortable in his skin. O'Neal has also served as a deputy in Lafayetta, La., not far from his alma mater, LSU. He is also a reserve police officer in Jupiter, Florida, not far from his first pro turn in Orlando.

“I don’t think I could be sheriff in Florida and work in Atlanta," he told the Post. "So I bought a house in Atlanta, and I’m going to be in Atlanta full time, so it’s like, let me try here first, and maybe when it’s all said and done, I could go back and be the sheriff in Florida.”

No word yet on whether current Henry Sheriff Keith McBrayer will challenge the 7-footer.

Image via Kevork Djansezian / Staff / Getty Images Sport