Shaq thrills LV kids

Tim Graham

Friday, June 27, 1997 | 11:17 a.m.

SHAQ Attack. Shaq Diesel. Shaq Fu.

Athlete. Actor. Endorser. Rapper. Restaurateur.

Shaquille O'Neal is all of those things. But to some Las Vegas youths, he is even more.

O'Neal, the NBA superstar who moonlights more than the moon lights, hosted a luncheon for Orr Middle School students Thursday at the Official All-Star Cafe.

The 7-foot-1, 300-pound Los Angeles Laker dined with the students and signed autographs as part of the school's Reading Is Fundamental program. O'Neal is an RIF national spokesman.

"Reading is free knowledge," said O'Neal, one of the All-Star Cafe's many celebrity partners. Andre Agassi, Wayne Gretzky, Ken Griffey, Joe Montana, Monica Seles, Tiger Woods are the others.

"Reading is important. When I was younger, I didn't read a lot. I only read when I had to. I should have read more."

O'Neal left Louisiana State after his sophomore year to enter the NBA draft, but claims he still is working toward his business degree, which he wouldn't waste.

He makes $17.1 million a year playing basketball and millions more in other endeavors. He starred in the motion pictures "Blue Chips" and "Kazaam." He has released three music albums. He is the subject of video games.

A recent national survey ranked O'Neal the third-most recognizable product endorser in sports, behind Michael Jordan and Woods.

"This is an at-risk school, so these kids might not have had a chance to meet Shaquille O'Neal their whole lifetime," said Kenny Bayless, who teaches physical education and health at Orr. Bayless also is a professional boxing referee and will work the undercard of Saturday's Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield rematch.

"This is something they'll treasure for the rest of their lives. From the time he walked through the door, the look on their faces said 'This is the one.'"

The 104 students present at the upstairs luncheon were selected from a group of 300 who entered a poetry contest.

"Now if we could only get people like this to come out to the school," said Bayless, noting Orr has hosted Sammy Davis Jr. and Ben Vereen. "The sad part is there are 200 more kids back at the school who wished they could be here, but we could only bring so many."

O'Neal stayed with the students for nearly two hours, answering questions, posing for photographs and signing his name. He took breaks for interviews and, looking out the window at New York-New York, became mesmerized by the Manhattan Express roller coaster.

Before leaving the students, O'Neal left some final words of advice.

"Keep reading, stay out of trouble, don't do drugs, listen to your teachers, follow your dreams and you can do whatever you want," he said.

O'Neal then went into the main restaurant to sign copies of his new rap CD, "You Can't Stop the Reign." The line of fans, estimated at 2,000, dribbled down Las Vegas Boulevard, in front of the Island Plaza and around the corner, deep into the MGM Grand's entrance drive.

"This is bigger than the grand opening, when we had every one of our celebrity shareholders here," All-Star Cafe spokeswoman Hillary Smoot said of the gathering.