Shaquille O’Neal and ‘I Love Money’ star, Nicole Alexander engaged?

[HMG] – For most people, joining the Boston Celtics at age 38, thus reviving a career of almost two decades would be enough fun for one Summer. But Shaquille O’Neal is unlike most people — and the word is he just got engaged.

The lady in question is 27-year old Nicole ‘Hoopz’ Alexander — winner of the 2008 season of VH1′s reality hit, ‘I Love Money,’ and a contestant on ‘Flavor of Love.’

Sources tell the Huff Post that Shaq has spent much of the summer in Nicole’s hometown of Maryville, Tennessee. The pair even share a home in the local ‘Royal Oaks’ golfing community.

But while in St. Louis on Monday, Shaq took Nicole and some friends to the Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine and Hookah Lounge in nearby Bridgeton for a late dinner. And lounge owner Sam David believes O’Neal may have taken their connection much further;

“I think he may have proposed to his girlfriend,” Sam told reporters. “He brought a chair into the middle of the dance floor and he put a ring on her finger.”

Sam says Shaq arrived with Nicole, two other women and one man, and ordered dessert, then hit the dance floor.

“He had a lot of fun,” David said. “He was clapping and laughing. He didn’t dance but the other people in his group did.”

It seems the big guy was in town to take part in this year’s ‘Pujols Family Foundation’ golf tournament, which raises money to help local people who live with Down syndrome. The group stayed until about 2:30am, and Sam says he was so stoked to have a star in the club he didn’t even bother to charge them.

Is this a wise move? Shaq only closed a divorce from his wife of seven years, Shaunie Nelson, in March. Now on the rebound, I’m not sure planning to marry a woman so clearly absorbed by other people’s net worth that she stars in and wins a show called ‘ILove Money’ is among the world’s brightest ideas.

But what’s your view of Shaq’s choice?…