Shaq Drops $235k and Buys Totally Normal House

Shaquille O'Neal knows ... being rich and buying houses is fun ... so despite living in a GINORMOUS 70,000-square-foot mansion ... he dropped $235k on a second, regular person house 30 miles away.

Shaq -- who is reportedly worth around $250 million -- currently lives in an 11-bedroom, 13-bath PALACE outside Orlando, FL ... which includes a 20,000-square-foot basketball court and garage filled with DOZENS of sports cars!!!

But that just wasn't enough ... 'cause in July the former NBA superstar laid down $235k on a very normal 3,900-square-foot abode ... in a place called Mount Dora, FL.

It's unclear WHY the Shaq-ster bought the spare pad ... Investment? Gift? Kicks and giggles? But we do know the house is pretty nice -- for those of us not sitting on fat bank accounts.

The new pad is rockin' 5 bedrooms, 4 baths ... granite counter tops ... wet bar ... entertainment room ... and cherry cabinets. Which would all be really awesome ... if his other house wasn't WAY MORE awesome.

We reached out to Shaq's people to ask him about the new purchase ... but so far no word back.