Basketball Hall of Famer and television personality Shaquille O’Neal, who is not only a resident of Baton Rouge but also played for LSU from 1989 to 1992 prior to his legendary NBA career, will serve as Bacchus for the 2025 Bacchus Mardia Gras Parade, according to NOLA.com.
“The first guy I thought of was Shaq” to serve as next year’s Bacchus, Krewe Captain Clark Brennan said, adding that the next parade is designed to “bring more focus, more attention to our state and city.”
The theme of this year’s parade is Louisiana Fairs and Festivals, and it will feature the queens of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, St. Bernard Crawfish Fest, Rayne Frog Fest and other regional events.
The festivities take place on March 2nd.
Being named a Carnival parade king is meant “to be an honor for them, and a way to experience our culture,” Brennan said. “They are so gracious. The biggest compliment we get is that they respect how we’ve taken care of their family.”
