Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen is a regular columnist for thehoopdoctors.com, Bleacherreport.com, and his own blog, Hoops Haven.
The NBA’s biggest personality, Shaquille O’Neal, has many talents. Besides being one of best big men to ever step on the basketball court, he has dabbled in major motion pictures, released numerous rap albums, been an undercover police officer, starred in his own television series(Shaq Vs.), and has even been known to challenge other players to a dance off. We all know that Shaq not only likes to be the center of attention, but revels in it.
His newest endevour is as Executive Producer for “The All Star Comedy Jam“. O’Neal has teamed with the Original King of Comedy, Cedric the Entertainer, to put together this raw and hilarious stand up show in the “Def Comedy Jam” format, filmed during All-Star Weekend this past February in Phoenix, Arizona. With Cedric as Master of Ceremonies, the show featured some of the hottest and most sought after performers in comedy today like Tommy Davidson (of In Living Color fame and Ace Ventura, Booty Call, and Juwanna Man films), Aries Spears (from television’s MAD TV and CSI Miami and Jerry McGuire film), Deray Davis known as “The Street’s Comic“(Barbershop films), and Kevin Hart (of the movies Soul Plane, Scary Movie 3 and 4).
Shaq and his wife Shawnee often find themselves the targets of each comic’s funniest jokes, with Tommy Davidson even poking fun at O’Neal’s many nicknames, monotone speech, and even his lazy eye. While most jokes geared towards Shaq were lighthearted and in good fun, other audience members weren’t so lucky as every comedian has insults for whomever catches their eye, like a guest who became an easy target, dressed in full pimp gear while drinking out of an iced out fishbowl pimp cup. The All Star cast tackled and poked fun at everything from religion, race, relationships, children, current events, and even President Obama.
Cedric the Entertainer kills as the first act with only 10 minutes of material, having the audience in fits of laughter before the set list even hits the stage. Next up is Davidson who is hilarious with his impersonations of Shaq and his take on Spanish television programs followed by Spears’s awesome impersonations of everyone’s favorite hip hop icons. Then comes Davis, who offers some great relationship advice and rips on audience members, setting up Hart, whose best material revolves again, around Shaq, and at 5’4, his life as a thug. Additional footage of some hilarious backstage interviews are conducted by Rasual Butler, of the LA Clippers. Some celebrity guests in attendance were sidesplitting comic Katt Williams, and super hip hop/R&B couple Nelly and Ashanti.
While some feel that the sheer volume of Shaquille O’Neal’s projects sometimes water down his obvious talents, this DVD is a must see for anyone who is a fan of stand up comedy. Even though Cedric’s first joke is about he and Shaq’s equal partnership on the show, where Ced performs and O’Neal is “just there“, I must admit the disc is a hit. I would even call it the “Slam Dunk of Comedy“, which became available September 8th from Codeblack Entertainment.
Here is the trailer, and if you get a chance grab your copy. The Hoop Docs have been loving it…
