Shaq joins Hunan TV’s New Year celebration

Changsha (CNS) -- Retired NBA basketball star Shaquille O'Neal practiced martial arts, made dumplings and wished Chinese audiences a happy new year on Tuesday during a broadcast from Hunan TV in central China.

Wearing a red silk Tang suit, the "big shark" started with a traditional Chinese style dance and did his best to blend in with the performance.

He also interacted with the host and made dumplings for his friend Yao Ming. Shaq's Hunan dialect was enriched with the phrases "Gong Xi Fa Cai! Wo Qing Da Jia Qia Fan!" which mean "wish you big fortune and I would like to invite you to dinner," a polite greeting in China.

O'Neal spoke with his fans about retirement, which involves traveling, spending time with family and making music.

It is Shaq's sixth visit to China, but his first experience of Spring Festival, which he says he enjoyed very much.