NBA star center Shaquille O'Neal will show up in a TV series to challenge top athletes from other sports.

The Cleveland Cavaliers center will swim against Olympic champion Michael Phelps in one episode of "Shaq Vs.," which debuts on Aug. 18 on ABC.

O'Neal also will try his football skills against Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, box retired world champion Oscar De La Hoya, bat against St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols, trade tennis volleys with Wimbledon champ Serena Williams and play volleyball against Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.

O'Neal will negotiate a handicap with his opponents and train with a coach for one week leading up to each challenge.

Four time NBA champion O'Neal, 37, came up with the idea for the competition as a way of training for the upcoming season.

His first opponent will be Roethlisberger, the Steelers' Super Bowl-winning QB. They'll compete in a 7-on-7 passing drill to be filmed later this week in the Pittsburgh area.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2009)