In his campaign

to

be the next Orange County sheriff, Orlando Police Chief John Mina gets a big endorsement from a big guy — Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaquille O’Neal has hinted he will run for sheriff somewhere, someday — but it won’t be in Orange County this year.

The NBA Hall-of-Famer and Isleworth resident endorsed Orlando Police Chief John Mina for sheriff Monday, recording a video on the set of “NBA on TNT.”

O’Neal, who has maintained a residence in the county even after leaving the Orlando Magic in 1996, called Mina the “person best qualified to be our next sheriff.”

“I know John Mina personally,” O’Neal said in the video. “He has proven himself in times of crisis. He has shown he can keep our community safe.”

Mina called O’Neal’s endorsement a “tremendous honor.”

“O’Neal may be recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but I know him as a longtime champion of the law enforcement community,” Mina said. “I look forward to serving O’Neal — and all the residents of Orange County — as the next sheriff of Orange County.”

Mina is vying to succeed Sheriff Jerry Demings, who is running for Orange County mayor, in a special election expected to be called this year to replace Demings.

Mina is running with no party affiliation in the nonpartisan election, though he is now a registered Democrat after switching his registration from Republican in 2017.

The other announced candidate so far is Democrat José “Joe” López. Republican Tom Stroup dropped out of the race.

Last year, O’Neal told Atlanta TV station WXIA he planned to run for sheriff in 2020, but did not say where. He also has a residence in suburban Atlanta, while Demings’ term in Orange County was scheduled to be up in 2020 before his decision to run for mayor.

“This is not about politics for me,” O’Neal said of his possible future law enforcement job.“It’s always been something that I have wanted to do.”