Shaquille O'Neal Shuts Down Miami Hotspot For Huge 50th Birthday Party

Shaquille O'Neal pulled out all the stops for his birthday on Sunday ... shutting down a Miami hotspot and throwing a HUGE party to celebrate his big 5-0.

Shaq took over Prime 112 in South Beach and partied late into the night ... and TMZ Sports has learned the bash was epic.

We're told the party featured a ton of food, Shaq-themed decorations, and plenty of star guests.

In fact, at one point during the festivities, a huge video tribute was played on a big screen ... showing a bunch of sweet messages from celebs, musicians and athletes to the Big Diesel.

Guys like Kevin Hart, Steph Curry, Ludacris, Charles Barkley and more gave their well wishes to the NBA legend ... who watched all the clips with a huge smile on his face.

There was also a walkway of all of the Sports Illustrated covers Shaq has been on over the years -- plus so many more tributes and nods to the former Lakers and Heat star.

The party started at around 7 PM and went past midnight ... and it culminated with Shaq blowing out candles on a big, custom Pepsi-themed cake.

Shaq also got on the mic for a few moments, and gave some words late in the evening to thank his friends and family, before he eventually called it a night.

No word on what gifts Shaq received at the party ... but as we reported, he got a sick Dodge Hellcat Charger earlier in the week -- so, overall, it was a great week to be Shaq.