Free tickets now available to see Shaq at UC on April 5

Shaquille O’Neal will be the keynote speaker for the 2017 Excellence in Leadership Lecture Series, which is sponsored by Forcht Group.

Free tickets are now available to see legendary athlete and cultural icon Shaquille O’Neal speak at the University of the Cumberlands next month as part of the 12th Annual Excellence in Leadership Series, which is sponsored by The Forcht Group of Kentucky.

“Shaquille O’Neal is an exceptional leader, both on and off the court,” said UC President Larry Cockrum. “We are excited to have Shaq on campus to share his message of hard work and perseverance with our students.”

The Excellence in Leadership event takes place Wednesday, April 5, at 7 p.m. in the O. Wayne Rollins Center. The event is free and open to the public; however, tickets are required for admission.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and can be reserved online starting today at www.ucumberlands.edu/tickets.

Best known for his NBA career, which spanned nearly two decades and earned him membership into the NBA Hall of Fame, O’Neal has also established himself as an insightful businessman and powerful media personality. With appearances in countless commercials, television episodes and films, along with a number of business investments in companies like Google, O’Neal was included on Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” list and was named one of the most influential athletes by Forbes. He was the first verified celebrity account on Twitter, produces his own shoe line and currently appears as an analyst on TNT’s Emmy-award winning show, Inside the NBA.

UC’s annual lecture series is made possible by an endowment from local business owners Dr. Terry and Mrs. Marion Forcht, who founded The Forcht Group of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Leadership in 2006.

“We’re very excited that Shaquille O’Neal is coming to speak at this event. We look forward to hearing his inspirational story,” Forcht Group Chairman Terry Forcht said previously.

The purpose of the Center is to provide programs and activities that enhance the development of leadership, character and good citizenship. Past speakers in the series have included Roy Moore, Zell Miller, Stephen Covey, Ben Stein, Karl Rove, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Charles Krauthammer, Dr. Ben Carson, Fred Thompson, and Dr. William “Will” Franklin Graham IV, the grandson of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham.

“We are grateful for the continued support of the Forcht Group of Kentucky,” said Cockrum. “The generosity of Dr. Terry and Mrs. Marion Forcht help make it possible to bring speakers like Shaquille O’Neal to Williamsburg.”