The Toes Know

Anybody who kept a close watch on the NBA championships knows the Los Angeles Lakers' secret weapon was Shaquille O'Neal. But it turns out the gentle giant had his own secret weapon: nail polish. He always paints his size 22 tootsies before he hits the court. Shaq's Management Plus reps confirm the habit started after he scored 40 points in a single game with painted toenails. ''It's not anything weird,'' explains Margaret Kimura, the player's sometime groomer and creative director for the recently launched i nuovi cosmetics. ''It's a decoration for him and a good-luck thing.'' And although Shaq usually keeps his glittery nails under wraps, he does favor i nuovi's Go-Go gold and Eve metallic green. Why are men (Carson Daly, Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson) taking up such distaff adornment? Says Kimura, ''Nail polish on men only enhances their personality.'' And it makes their toes look purdy.