Shaquille O'Neal received his doctoral degree in Education from Barry University yesterday -- and no, it was not honorary ... he earned it!

Shaq -- wearing a custom-made, bright red XXXL-sized gown -- was one 1,100 students honored during the commencement ceremonies at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami.

On earning the degree, Shaq said, "Everyone thinks this is honorary. But this is not honorary. I put in four and a half hard years staying up late at night, studying, reading, rewriting papers Dr. Kopp marked up."

Shaq says he is considering going to law school next.

Several members of the Miami Heat were attacked last night ... and the culprit was a real butthole ... this according to Shaquille O'Neal.

After the Heat dominated the Chicago Bulls ... Shaq appeared on the post-game show on TNT and pointed out a key moment in the 1st quarter .... when a bunch of the Heat guys were seen desperately trying to plug their noses.  

Shaq noted, "This is something you can't do on the bench ... somebody farted ... who farted on the bench??"

Ever the observationalist, Shaq explained ... "The fart goes 4-deep ... the fart goes 4-deep."

They all smelt it ... but which Miami Heat player dealt it?  The world may never know.

Shaquille O'Neal celebrated his 40th birthday in Las Vegas last night with a bunch of his friends, some of whom were white ... a fact that was not lost on Shaq.

The Diesel took to the mic at the nightclub LAVO inside the Palazzo Hotel ... where he shouted out his caucasian friends and dedicated a song in their honor. 

Check out the video to find out which song Shaq thinks is the official anthem of white people.

Shaquille O'Neal has RETURNED to the basketball court ... in jean shorts ... in Anguilla.

It's actually a pretty cool story -- The Diesel was hosting a NYE party at the Viceroy on the Caribbean island, when he got on the mic and challenged everyone to a pick-up game at the hotel court the next morning.

Shaq kept his word ... and arrived ready to play ... with his GF in tow.

Sources at the court tell us, the NBA legend organized a friendly half-court shoot-a-round ... nothing too intense ... no dunking. Hoopz played too.

We're told Shaq was super friendly ... and posed for pics with anyone who wanted a shot.

As for Shaq's game -- we're told the guy actually looked pretty good ... sinking bucket after bucket.

Fun Fact! The national sport of Anguilla is ... boat racing!!!

Shaquille O'Neal couldn't power his way through the lane at a New York nightclub this weekend -- getting TURNED AWAY at the door ... all because he was dressed like a lumberjack.

TMZ has learned ... Shaq rolled up to nightclub/restaurant Mars 2112 on Saturday night wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, tennis shoes and a beanie (pictured above with random fan later that night).

But according to the club promoter, Mike Mogul, Shaq's attire wasn't up to club standards ... so security politely informed the retired NBA star that he would not be allowed inside.

Sources at the club tell us Shaq calmly replied, "Are you serious?" ... then shrugged his shoulders and walked down the street to another place that welcomed The Diesel with open arms.

The move is pretty damn shocking, considering TONS of clubs would pay some serious jack to get Shaq to stop by, no matter what he was wearing!!

Denzel Washington does not have the same problem.

Shaquille O'Neal is giving the movie biz another shot -- yes, even after "Kazaam" and "Steel" -- and this time he wants to be a director!

Shaq is about to complete the Filmmaking Conservatory at the New York Film Academy's branch at Universal Studios Hollywood. Shaq's been very hands-on during directing and cinematography classes -- walking his crew through stunts (above photo) ... and shooting on the studio's famous back lot (see the video below).

According to the school, Shaq has been "incredibly humble, funny, and likable" ... or just the usual Shaq.

How big do they make those director's chairs anyway?

Shaquille O'Neal wants the court to toss out a lawsuit accusing him of masterminding kidnap and murder plots because the accuser -- Robert Ross -- filed his lawsuit too late.

Shaq's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss today in Federal Court. TMZ obtained the documents in which Shaq denies the allegations made by Ross -- a former gang member -- and says, "if this case ever proceeded ... Plaintiff would be further exposed for the perjurer that he is."

The motion also claims the longest statute of limitations -- 3 years -- had long expired by the time Ross filed his lawsuit last month.

If the motion is granted, it would be the second legal blow to Ross. Last week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office dropped a criminal case because it lost confidence in Ross as a reliable witness ... when he admitted he lied about having a sex tape of Shaq.

Ross' attorney Mark Overland tells TMZ, "We are not affected by what happened in the criminal case and we are moving forward."

Shaquille O'Neal indirectly won an enormous victory today ... after a judge threw out a case against 7 gang members who were accused of kidnapping a man in order to retrieve a sex tape of Shaq.

Robert Ross -- the alleged victim -- claimed he had a sex tape showing Shaq with multiple women at different times while he was still married to Shaunie O'Neal.

Ross claimed 7 gang members kidnapped him at the direction of Shaq and tried to beat him into submission so he would cough up the video.

Today in court -- in the middle of the preliminary hearing -- the D.A. shocked the courtroom, stating they no longer had confidence in Ross based on his testimony and his actions outside of court.

Lawyers for the 7 defendants asked the judge to immediately dismiss the case -- which is exactly what the judge did.

As for why the D.A. lost confidence in Ross, for starters, during his testimony in the prelim, he admitted he had lied about having a sex tape -- something Shaq had denied all along.

Shaquille O'Neal couldn't keep his hands and mouth off his "Flavor of Love" girlfriend Hoopz while shopping in Calabasas this weekend.

Looks like they both made out well.

Shaquille O'Neal is retired and irrelevant and his big KNOCK on Miami Heat star Chris Bosh doesn't matter one iota ... that's what LeBron seems to be saying when we asked about the controversy yesterday.



LeBron was leaving the Nike Store in L.A. yesterday when TMZ asked how he felt about Shaq's big diss -- when O'Neal described the Miami Heat as "The Big Two" ... refusing to recognize Bosh as a key member of the squad.

LeBron finally had something to say ... before posing for a photo with an excited young fan ... Check out the clip.

Shaquille O'Neal "requested and directed" his former friend to kill several people -- including a gang member, a record producer, and a woman he impregnated ... those are the shocking allegations in a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ. 



Shaq's former pal Robert Ross -- an ex-gang member -- is suing O'Neal for allegedly masterminding a plot to have him kidnapped by other gang members back in 2008.

In the documents, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, Ross claims O'Neal organized and funded a series of murders and brutal attacks on people who did him wrong.

In the suit, Ross alleges, "For many years O'Neal requested and directed [Ross] to perform many personal favors and directed him to perform various tasks including, but not limited to: ordering [Ross] to kill a member of the Downtown Gangster Crips who had disrespected O'Neal in front of his wife Shaunie."

O'Neal is also accused of issuing "an order to kill a woman whom O'Neal had impregnated and paid for her abortion" and "an order to kill a renown record producer."

Ross also alleges that O'Neal issued "an order to break an NBA player's shooting arm."

Ross -- who never says whether the alleged hits were carried out --  is suing for unspecified damages.

Shaq's lawyer, Michael J. Kump, tells TMZ ... "The outlandish claims by Robert Ross in his civil complaint are pure fiction.  Shaquille O'Neal befriended Mr. Ross in an attempt to help turn his life around.  Sadly, Mr. Ross abused that friendship again and again. 

Kump adds, "Shaquille's commitment to law enforcement is well-known and documented.  He will not dignify these defamanatory allegations with a response."