Forget Christmas, Shaq is Playing in LA this Weekend

Shaquille O'Neal has a few laughs at his press conference for "Shaq VS." Credit: Adam Rose/LAist.

If you see Shaquille O'Neal walking on a local beach wearing a pink Speedo three sizes too small, it wouldn't mean you're hallucinating.

It would mean Shaq and teammate Phil Dalhausser lost a volleyball match to Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh.

The two-mile Speedo walk is added incentive for the Cleveland Cav's new center (at 7'1", he's almost as tall as the net) to win Sunday in the sand. The event is part of a new series on ABC called "Shaq VS," which debuts on August 18. In the first season he's also scheduled to take on Michael Phelps, Ben Roethlisberger, Albert Pujols, and Oscar De La Hoya -- each in their native sport.

Shaq hasn't been able to set up challenges with Lance Armstrong and David Beckham but claims that he tried. While understanding of Armstrong's exhausting schedule, he had little sympathy for Beckham. After some back-and-forth on TMZ, Shaq used a press conference on Wednesday to nickname the soccer player "Davina." He also invited TMZ to join him on the Speedo walk should he lose this Sunday.

This weekend's showdown will take place at the end of the AVP tournament in Hermosa Beach, which starts today and runs through the weekend. Like the AVP games, Shaq's match is free to the public (assuming there's space in Hermosa -- never a sure thing). The AVP men's final is at 1pm on Sunday, followed by the big-man's event around 3:30pm.

Shaq is being coached by Dalhausser's teammate, Todd Rogers. Other than the expert advice, he will get no special handicap. Along with May-Treanor and Walsh, that's five Olympic gold medalists scheduled to be on the beach.

As if his summer isn't unusual enough, Shaq also acknowledged on Wednesday that he has failed in two recent attempts to walk into the White House without an ID. If he ever pulls it off, beating President Barack Obama in a game of one-on-one is on his agenda.