You can say a lot of things, both good and bad, about the explosion of social media networks like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn, but one thing is for sure—you can almost always find some interesting nugget of information on them that you won’t find anywhere else.

Here’s what I’m talking about: Last night, I got a Twitter message (a “tweet”) that said, “For those who wanna know, i am getting my doctorate in human resource development Why? Because im a people person.”

OK, somebody on Twitter is getting a doctorate in HR development. Big deal, right? Well, in 99 out of 100 cases, you would be correct, but this is that one exception. The would-be HR Ph.D. is none other than Shaquille O’Neal.

Yes, the one and only 7-foot-1, 335-pound, 14-time NBA All-Star center for the Phoenix Suns. And yes, although Shaq used to talk about being a cop when he got done playing basketball, he now seems to be gravitating toward human resources instead (not that there’s a lot of difference sometimes).

And, unless I am very wrong, that would probably make Shaq the largest and best-known HR professional in the world.

I tweeted Shaq back after seeing his post and asked where he was getting his degree and why he was interested in HR development, but he never responded. My guess is that Shaq is probably getting his doctorate from the University of Phoenix, the same place he got his master’s degree. (He did his undergrad work at LSU.)

If you think about it, Shaq would probably make a great HR professional. Although he frequently exhibits a tough-guy demeanor, anyone who has followed his career (and I watched him up close when he helped the Los Angeles Lakers win three NBA titles), also knows that he is a sensitive and caring soul—perfect attributes for an HR director.

I would also guess that he wouldn’t be one of those HR people whining about getting a seat at the table, because the executive team is going to want him in the boardroom. Besides, who is going to tell Shaq he can’t sit wherever he wants?

This is also a great opportunity for SHRM, and if I were president Laurence G. “Lon” O’Neil, I’d start cultivating my fellow O’Neil right now. They could start rebranding their advertising campaign around him, or at a minimum, build some of those “I Am SHRM” ads with Mr. NBA All-Star as the centerpiece.

The possibilities are endless, but this is certain: Shaquille O’Neal as an HR professional would be a lot of fun, and would finally give human resource people the credibility and visibility they have been seeking for so many long years.

I can hardly wait.

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