• After an impostor claiming to be NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal began posting on Twitter, the real Shaq created an account to set the record straight and reclaim his identity on the popular social media site.New York Times: The real O'Neal puts his cyber foot down

  In January of 2009, Dan Frommer of Silicon Alley Insider posted an article entitled "Is Shaq Bored With Twitter Already?," noting that O'Neal's posts to Twitter were down 89% from November 2008 to January 2009. The same day, O'Neal posted the following message to his Twitter account: "Im not bored Too much homework Workn on my doctorate Coming s oon Dr Shaq."Silicon Alley Insider: Is Shaq Bored With Twitter Already? (January 12, 2009) Silicon Alley Insider: Shaq: I'm Not Bored With Twitter (January 12, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. As of January 2009, 27,000 people were following O'Neal on TwitterSilicon Alley Insider: Is Shaq Bored With Twitter Already? (January 12, 2009)
  2. As of January 2009, O'Neal ranked 35 among those with the most followers on TwitterSilicon Alley Insider: Is Shaq Bored With Twitter Already? (January 12, 2009)
  3. Name of legitimate Twitter account is The_Real_ShaqTwitter: Official Shaquille O'Neal Feed
  4. Fake Twitter account was created by fan claiming to be the NBA superstar
  5. Fake Twitter account was named Shaquille O'NealTwitter: ShaquilleONeal
  6. The name of the twitter impostor is Ward AndrewsNew York Times: The real O'Neal puts his cyber foot down (November 19, 2008)
  7. Impostor claimed the account was for humor and felt most "followers" of his account knew it was fakeNew York Times: The real O'Neal puts his cyber foot down (November 19, 2008)

• The Fake Twitter Account

  A fake twitter account was created under the name of Shaquille O'Neal.Twitter: ShaquilleONeal The fraudulent poster went so far as to make several references to VitaminWater, which Shaq sponsors. The fake account holder even used phrasing which resembled the speech pattern of the NBA star.

  The imposter also took the opportunity to talk trash about other NBA players such as Andrew Bogut. In a post, the twitter impostor tweeted, "On the plane back to #PHX, another Suns W. Bogut is Erika Dampier with a beard." Other tweets made by the impostor include the observation that the Phoenix Suns offense was "like the Pythagorean Theorem. There is no answer." and "Guys know if they need an instant bucket, they can come to me. As the son of Jor-El, it's in my nature to help others and save the universe."FanHouse: Shaq on Bogut: Erica Dampier with a Beard (November 9, 2008)

  After Shaq received the news that an impostor was using his name on the social website, the superstar responded by creating a legitimate account. In an interview discussing the decision to join Twitter Shaq stated, "Somebody out there was trying to use my language and trying to speak for me. Rather than have that happen, I thought I'd do it myself. It's a fun thing. It's a way for fans to connect."New York Times: The real O'Neal puts his cyber foot down (November 19, 2008)

  The impostor was revealed as Ward Andrews. Andrews explained his actions by stating, "All the longtime followers, over 500 followers, they know it’s a joke. I really didn’t have any intent to pull people’s leg. It was just to entertain."New York Times: The real O'Neal puts his cyber foot down (November 19, 2008)

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