Latest news with #PowerMoveswith
Los Angeles Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Kobe Bryant not in NBA's all-time top 10? Shaq thinks that ranking is ‘criminal'
Shaquille O'Neal has an issue with a recent ranking of the all-time best NBA players. On Monday, Bleacher Report released its list of the 'top 100 NBA players ever,' based on a compilation of rankings from a 'legion of B/R NBA experts, writers and editors.' O'Neal finished just outside the top five. He didn't seem to have an issue with that. Shaq's beef was with the placement of his former Lakers teammate, the late Kobe Bryant, who landed outside of the top 10. 'Kobe at 11 is criminal,' O'Neal wrote on X in the comments of a Bleacher Report post that revealed the list's top 20. He left his comment a little more than an hour after the original Bleacher Report post went live. Here are the 10 players ranked ahead of Bryant, in order from the top: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry. Bryant is followed on the list by Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Durant, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. O'Neal has made no secret of his feelings on where Bryant ranks among the league's all-time greats. In 2023, the Diesel told The Times that his 'first team' on such a list would be himself, Bryant, Jordan, Johnson and James. (Coming off the bench for O'Neal on that hypothetical team were Curry, Allen Iverson, Duncan, Karl Malone, Isiah Thomas and Abdul-Jabbar.) Last month, in connection with the Netflix docuseries 'Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal,' Shaq revealed another personal top 10 list in which he ranked Bryant at No. 2, behind Jordan and just ahead of James. Bryant ranks fourth in all-time NBA scoring (33,643 points) and his 'Mamba Mentality' work ethic is still cited as a major influence on current athletes. He spent the first eight years of his career as Lakers teammates with O'Neal, with L.A. winning three NBA titles during that span. Those Lakers also lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Soon after, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, with tension between the two superstars seen as one of the main reasons for the move. O'Neal won another NBA title with the Heat in 2006. Bryant won two more with the Lakers, in 2009 and 2010. Over the years, O'Neal and Bryant acknowledged their rocky relationship as teammates but also insisted that they actually were close friends. 'I just want people to know that I don't hate you, I know you don't hate me. I call it today a 'work beef,' is what we had,' O'Neal told Bryant on 'The Big Podcast with Shaq' in 2015. 'We had a lot of disagreements, we had a lot of arguments,' he said later. 'But I think it fueled us both.' Years later, when it appeared their feud might be heating up again, the two NBA greats took to social media to nip that notion in the bud. 'Ain't nothin but love there,' Bryant wrote of his relationship with O'Neal. 'It's all good bro,' Shaq responded. Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine people who died in a Jan. 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Calabasas. O'Neal was one of the speakers at the Feb. 24, 2020, memorial service for 'my friend, my little brother Kobe Bryant and my beautiful niece Gigi.' 'Kobe and I pushed one another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time and I am proud that no other team has accomplished what the three-peat Lakers have done since the Shaq and Kobe Lakers did it,' O'Neal said. 'And sometimes like immature kids, we argued, we fought, we bantered, we assaulted each other with offhand remarks on the field. Make no mistake, even when folks thought we were on bad terms, when the cameras are turned off, he and I would throw a wink at each other and say let's go whoop some ass. 'We never took it seriously. In truth, Kobe and I always maintained a deep respect and a love for one another.'
Wales Online
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Shaquille O'Neal's body transformation left NBA legend with first six-pack ‘for 30 years'
Shaquille O'Neal's body transformation left NBA legend with first six-pack 'for 30 years' NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has got himself into great shape of late after dropping more than 30lbs and boasting a six-pack for the first time in decades Shaquille O'Neal previously spoke about his body transformation (Image: Zuffa LLC ) Shaquille O'Neal opened up about his remarkable body transformation, claiming to have achieved a six-pack for the first time in almost thirty years. The NBA icon is currently starring in the new Netflix documentary series 'Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal'. This new series follows his journey, alongside fellow Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, to revive Reebok's basketball division. The president of basketball at Reebok and a new ESPN analyst, O'Neal is no stranger to turning fortunes around. After retiring from basketball in 2011, he found himself weighing over 23 stone (322lbs) a decade later, prompting him to embark on a fitness journey. O'Neal noted that a series of personal tragedies in 2020, including the loss of his sister Ayesha Harrison-Jex and former Los Angeles Lakers team-mate Kobe Bryant, led him to seek comfort in food. "My sister passed away before Kobe," he told Men's Journal. "And then Kobe passed away and then I had 28 other people pass away. "[2020] was a really bad year and I didn't want to do anything. So, when you don't want to do anything, but you need to stay out of trouble, there's two things you can do: eat and Netflix." Article continues below This difficult period marked a turning point for O'Neal, who has since worked hard to transform his physique and achieve his impressive six-pack. In 2021, Shaq managed to leave behind his habit of indulging in late-night snacks, adopting healthier eating habits and a consistent exercise regime instead. O'Neal shared his body transformation (Image: INSTAGRAM@shaq ) The impetus for this life-changing shift came unexpectedly via social media. "I saw this 70-year-old guy on there, and he had muscles everywhere. So I just decided to switch it up," O'Neal added. The basketball icon soon began to see impressive results and shared insights into the diet contributing to his transformed body. "I've been doing this for six months and just eating fruit, protein shakes, salads, fish, chicken and asparagus or other vegetables," O'Neal said. "Very small portions and eating that everyday has helped me lose 25-30 pounds. I started to see stuff that I haven't seen in 20 to 30 years-like a six pack. And I haven't had one of those since I was on the 2006 Miami Heat. "Now I've been more active, I sleep through the night. I have more energy and I just want to work out all the time." Considering O'Neal's sustained state of peak fitness, it is somewhat surprising to learn about his more relaxed routine. According to the man himself, although he exercises twice daily, he caps his workouts at just an hour each day. "I do 20 minutes of cardio, I'll do some chest, bis, tris, sit-ups, back and then I'm gone, he said. " he added. "30-45 minutes a day, plus cardio, so about an hour a day. I still got the bad hips and the achy joints, so I can't be jumping and running around. Next thing I'll try is jogging." Article continues below Despite being 53 years old and juggling family commitments, business endeavours and his career as a basketball analyst, O'Neal appears to have maintained this routine. His Netflix show, 'Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal', started streaming earlier this month.
Los Angeles Times
23-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Why Shaquille O'Neal decided to join the Reebok executive team
Shaquille O'Neal was a dominant force in the NBA, a 7-foot-1 gentle giant who shattered boards, racked up four titles and left an indelible mark as one of the best centers in basketball history. But since his retirement in 2011, Shaq has shown that his impact goes far beyond sports. Now, in the business world, from offices and boardrooms, Shaq is focused on remaining the most dominant ever. Beyond his impressive height, one of O'Neal's most distinguishing traits is his sense of humor. In the 'Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal' Netflix series, which premiered on June 4, he acknowledges that his mindset is '80% humor and 20% seriousness' when it comes to running his businesses. That doesn't mean he doesn't take his responsibilities seriously. In fact, he believes that some people tried to exploit his outgoing nature when he first started his business ventures. 'Yes, a lot of people try to take advantage and that just drives me to do more things,' O'Neal told L.A. Times en Español. He is accustomed to people trying to exploit his perceived weaknesses. 'They always said, 'With the way he shoots free throws, he'll never win a championship.' OK, maybe that's true, but I'm going to dominate the game so much that free throws don't even matter.' He brings the same mentality to his position at Reebok, where he is president of basketball — a position he assumed in 2023 — and is leading a push to bring relevance back to a brand that once bet on him to be a star. 'When I went to Nike, they said, 'Yeah, we wanted to give you your own sneakers, but we gave them to another guy.' And I said, 'Excuse me? To this guy?' And then when I went to Reebok, they said, 'We believe in you, we're going to give you your own shoes,'' O'Neal recalls. That loyalty was not forgotten. Today, 30 years after signing with Reebok as a player, O'Neal is back, not to launch retro updates of his shoes, but to make decisions, train a new generation of athletes and reshape the brand's place in a fiercely competitive market. Shaq didn't join Reebok's executive team just for nostalgia's sake. His vision is clear: Take a chance like they took a chance on him in the 1990s. 'They took a chance on young Shaq. He took a chance on young AI [Allen Iverson]. He took a chance on young Shawn Kemp. And we turned the plan into a dominant number two. Never number one, but never number three,' O'Neal explained. With that logic, the former player decided not to bet Reebok's current NBA marketing budget all on one superstar. 'I wanted to go the traditional route. 'Hey, let's go for Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]. Let's go for Jaylen Brown.' But when you talk to agents, these guys want big numbers. ... You're going to spend 85 or 90% of the budget,' O'Neal said. His team — including his son, Shareef — convinced O'Neal to invest in emerging talent with a strong social media presence and a mindset of their own. Case in point is WNBA Chicago Sky player Angel Reese, who signed with Reebok in 2023. 'Angel reminds me of AI. She's going to do it her way, the way she wants to do it. She doesn't care what anyone else says,' O'Neal said. He sees Reese not only as a great athlete, but as an influential figure who embodies the disruptive spirit he wants to restore in the Reebok brand. O'Neal isn't just impressed by what he sees on the court. He's looking for something more. 'I'm looking for someone who isn't getting the recognition he deserves,' he said. 'We live in a world where, once they get noticed by one or two guys, they stick with them forever.' He said he was underestimated in his early days. Despite being selected with the first pick in the 1992 draft and making an immediate impact with the Orlando Magic, he said during early career business meetings 'they never looked at me. They always looked at my manager. It was like, 'Do you think he understands business?'' That prompted him to study business administration and management and get serious about his financial education. 'I just thought, 'Let me get a degree ... so you know I understand that I'm in charge of my own destiny,'' O'Neal said. Now, as president of Reebok basketball, he also values athletes' family ties, their work ethic, their environment and their desire to represent something bigger than themselves. 'I like the people, the moms, the dads, the coaches. People want to be represented in a certain way,' O'Neal said. He doesn't presume to have all the answers. He admits he's had to adapt and learn. 'It's just about challenges. I've always been one to step up to meet them. ... I had to learn a lot, learn about this business,' he said. To appeal to the broadest group of customers, he has relied on a close circle of advisors that includes his son, Shareef. 'I had to bring in my son to help me identify with the crazy Generation Z, because they do what they want. They follow their own path. They have their own rules,' O'Neal said. While still a strong, determined figure, O'Neal has learned to accept feedback from others. 'I don't think my best quality is listening,' he admits. But in his new role, he's had to let go of some of his old-school style and trust his team. O'Neal was one of the most dominant players the NBA has ever seen. Now he's one of the most successful athletes in the business world. His investment portfolio includes franchises of businesses such as Papa John's, Five Guys, 24 Hour Fitness and his own line of products and apparel. He also holds commercial endorsement contracts with brands such as Icy Hot, The General insurance and Carnival Cruises, among others. But his business success has not been linear. 'On the road to success, there are many failures and you simply have to try to have more successes than failures,' he said. His secret has been to surround himself with skilled people. 'I have great teammates,' O'Neal said. 'My friend wins a championship by herself. It's called delegation.' Shaq has turned his image into a global brand, but he insists the key has been staying true to his values. It all revolves around his family. 'I am who you think I am. I realized I couldn't have done any of this without my family and their blessings,' he says. He said his faith and personal values help him manage the impact of his success. 'I said it about seven years ago, never call me famous,' O'Neal said. 'Celebrities are jerks. I just want to be a normal person. I'm a respectful person. I love kids. I love the elderly. I love helping those in need. I love making people smile. So the answer to the question of how I keep my feet on the ground, you know exactly how I do it: Salaam-alaikum [Peace be upon you], brother.' Long before he joined he executive team, O'Neal played a major role in Reebok's success. In the early 1990s, while Nike and Adidas were building giant empires, Reebok bet on O'Neal and Iverson, and managed to position itself as a serious alternative, especially among urban youth. But over time, the brand lost ground. Now, with O'Neal leading the renaissance of its basketball division, Reebok wants to regain that lost space. It doesn't intend to compete directly with Nike or Adidas for big stars, but to create an ecosystem of its own. 'It's not about a gamble. It's about making the right decision,' O'Neal said. O'Neal has been many things: NBA champion, most valuable player, All-Star, entrepreneur, commentator, DJ, actor, honorary police officer, philanthropist. But perhaps his most powerful facet is that of a man who builds bridges, pushes others and constantly reinvents himself. This new movement, he says, is strategic and personal. He is enjoying a reunion with the brand that believed in him and an opportunity to return the favor by helping Reebok connect with customers. This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.
The Herald Scotland
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Shaq increasing fortune and fame as NBA Finals begin
Well, boys and girls, it's slightly more complicated than that, even for a 7-foot-1 basketball legend who pulled off this feat: retire from the sport that helped make you rich and famous, then get even more rich and famous. TV commercials. Licensing deals. Other partnerships. O'Neal, 14 years removed from his Hall of Fame career that included four NBA championship rings and three Finals MVPs, seems to be cashing in everywhere. On Wednesday, June 4, Netflix premiered a six-episode docuseries called "Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal" about the 53-year-old taking over as president of Reebok in 2023. (Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends Productions partnered with Sony Pictures Television on the show.) This week, he will provide commentary during NBA TV's coverage of Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. "Shaq's ubiquity today is unmatched and what makes it even more fascinating is that it's post-career,'' Stacy Jones, a marketing expert and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told USA TODAY Sports. "Most athletes peak in visibility during their prime and Shaq totally flipped that script.'' O'Neal was unavailable for an interview this week, according to his representatives. But his agents, Perry Rogers and Colin Smeeton, help paint a vivid picture of how O'Neal turned his millions in NBA wages into more millions -- and became a household name. ANALYSIS: Haters gonna hate, but NBA's 3-point shot is crucial to winning titles ANALYSIS: Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals Rogers and Smeeton said before O'Neal retired in 2011 they read professional athletes on average lose 4% of the public's awareness after their playing careers end. "And that freaked me out,'' Rogers told USA TODAY Sports. Also, O'Neal would be losing steady income -- his playing salary that earned him a total of $286 million, according to The trick was figuring out how to generate more money. Shaq's instincts lead to big bucks It was July 2011, a month after O'Neal officially retired, and ESPN and TNT (then known as Turner) were courting him as a potential NBA analyst. Rogers said he wanted to wait for offers from both networks and use them as leverage. Then, O'Neal spoke. "He goes, 'Perry, you heard the pitches,' " Rogers recalled. "On the one hand, Turner just said that they're relationship people, that they don't need me, but they want me. I'm a relationship guy. "Then you heard (an ESPN executive) say, 'Hey, I'm the most competitive (expletive) in the world. I'll build a whole show around you.' And what that means is if (ESPN) doesn't beat (TNT), I'm going to be taking the full blame. I'm not going to have time to develop. I don't have these reps yet.'' Rogers, who relayed the anecdote to USA TODAY Sports, said he complied with O'Neal's wishes and promptly negotiated a deal with TNT. The network's Emmy-winning "Inside the NBA" studio show proved to be an ideal platform to keep O'Neal visible. He needed time to develop his skills as a TV analyst. He also found the right chemistry working alongside former NBA players Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, and six-time Emmy winner Ernie Johnson. The quartet is headed to ABC/ESPN next season and O'Neal has agreed to a contract extention worth more than $15 million a year, according to Front Office Sports. "One thing that's great about Shaquille is he lets you sort of manage him,'' Smeeton, O'Neal's other agent, told USA TODAY Sports. "But at the same time, he trusts his instincts, and we certainly trust his instincts.'' OPINION: 'Inside the NBA' with Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq gave us so much more than basketball Shaq surrounds himself with talent O'Neal did not treat retirement as an opportunity to take up golf and lounge by the pool. "That's just not the way he's wired,'' Smeeton said. "He's wired for 'OK, I still have this drive that made me one of the best players of all time. Now how am I going to apply that to other parts of my business?' And that was music to our ears.'' Leonard Armato, O'Neal's first agent, played a key role in helping shape the Shaq brand into a lucrative entity before the two parted ways in 2001 for undisclosed reasons. But without Armato and later without his basketball career, the brand kept booming. Rogers and Smeeton, hired by O'Neal after the split with Armato, helped refine the Shaq brand. In 2015, Sports Illustrated published a list of O'Neal's top 50 endorsements. The full list continues to balloon and includes the likes of Carnival Cruise Line, DraftKings, Hershey's, Papa John's and BeatBox Beverages. He also is deeply invested in the food services business, owning more than 30 Big Chicken franchises, which serve some of his childhood favorites. He once owned 155 Five Guys, the burger and fries joint, according to Yahoo Finance. "Whether during basketball games, NFL games or programming beyond, Shaq has staying power that competes with just about any other celebrity,'' said Tyler Bobin, senior brand analyst at a company that tracks TV and streaming advertising. Rogers and Smeeton have focused on "the fun business,'' which has led to O'Neal serving as an ambassador of fun in a slew of new TV commercials. Case in point: In his commercials for Carnival Cruise Line, O'Neal plays the role of the company's CFO -- "Chief Fun Officer.'' Perhaps their biggest play came a decade ago, when Rogers and Smeeton brokered a deal to sell 51% of the Shaq brand to Authentic Brands Group (ABG). O'Neal, in turn, has become the second-largest shareholder in a company that owns brands for such luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe and David Beckham and whose subsidiaries include Champion and Reebok, which ABG acquired in 2022 at the behest of O'Neal. Smeeton indicated the partnership with ABG has helped propel O'Neal toward the $1 billion threshold for lifetime earnings. "If he's not already there,'' Smeeton said, "he'll be there soon." Shaq: 'My biggest mistake was ruining my family' The strength of O'Neal's brand has been tested. By O'Neal himself. During the most recent episode of his podcast, "The Big Podcast with Shaq,'' O'Neal referred to the infidelities he has said led to divorce from his ex-wife, Shaunie. "I am the voice for those that made a lot of mistakes and want to recover from the mistakes,'' said O'Neal, who has six children, including four with Shaunie. "Because I always say, my biggest mistake was ruining my family by being dumb.'' There have been other setbacks for O'Neal. Like two civil lawsuits, one stemming from his endorsement of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and another stemming from involvement with the Astrals Non-Fungible Tokens project, which he settled this year for a total of $11 million. O'Neal and other celebrities were accused of misleading consumers into promoting unregistered securities for FTX and promoting unregistered securities for Astrals. But the Shaq brand has taken no discernible hit. Corporate America keeps lining up to partner with O'Neal, who in 2024 played a hands-on role in developing Shaq-a-Licious XL Gummies (cannabis free) with The Hershey Company. "He gets involved on a deeper level, and brands love that,'' said Jones, the CEO at Hollywood Branded. "His involvement isn't just about exposure, it's about strategic value. He shows up, he promotes and he often contributes behind the scenes. That's a big reason why brands keep coming back.'' O'Neal also has protected his business interests by steering clear of controversial political issues, said Kimberly A. Whitler, associate professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. "That model - to maximize the number of consumers who support and appreciate the celebrity - requires focusing on creating broad appeal,'' Whitler told USA TODAY Sports. "They do this by remaining largely apolitical, so they can appeal to liberals, independents, and conservative consumers.'' Shaq building his empire off Michael Jordan's blueprint - with one exception Michael Jordan is the blueprint when it comes to athletes developing brands, Jones said. "He took his athletic legacy and elevated it into a luxury brand and that quiet, high-end exclusivity plays perfectly into his legacy,'' she said. O'Neal has embraced something else: the common man. New Air Jordan sneakers can cost upwards of $200. O'Neal's branded shoes on are available for $29.95. Rather than attempting to mimic Jordan's luxury brand, O'Neal's Big and Tall Collection is housed at JCPenney, with ribbed Polo shirts available for $17.49. Then there's his deal with The General, the insurance company known for affordable car insurance rates. "I called Shaquille and said, 'Hey, look, we're talking to these folks. I don't know how you feel about it,' " Rogers aid. "And Shaquille goes, 'Do it.' (I said), 'Hold on a second. I haven't talked to you about anything. Why do you like this? "And he said, 'I had The General for my insurance company. I know what it means to need affordable insurance.' " Sometimes, with the cameras rolling and without, O'Neal has given away pizzas, shoes, clothes and hugs. He has bought other people vans, engagement rings and heaven only knows what else. In 2024, he received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for raising millions of dollars for charitable efforts through the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation. Last month, at the end of the last episode of "Inside the NBA" on TNT, O'Neal told the show's stage manager "we put our money together and bought you a gift.'' He handed her a Louis Vuitton gift bag. Said Barkley, "Shaq, in fairness, you should buy all the gifts. You got the most money.''
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Shaq 'flipped the script,' grew fortune and became larger than life after retirement
Shaquille O'Neal towered over three children, leaned down and shared a secret. 'Do you know how I made $900 million?'' he asked in a moment taped three years ago. 'Just by listening to my mommy and daddy. Make sure you listen to your parents.'' Well, boys and girls, it's slightly more complicated than that, even for a 7-foot-1 basketball legend who pulled off this feat: retire from the sport that helped make you rich and famous, then get even more rich and famous. TV commercials. Licensing deals. Other partnerships. O'Neal, 14 years removed from his Hall of Fame career that included four NBA championship rings and three Finals MVPs, seems to be cashing in everywhere. On Wednesday, June 4, Netflix premiered a six-episode docuseries called "Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal" about the 53-year-old taking over as president of Reebok in 2023. (Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends Productions partnered with Sony Pictures Television on the show.) This week, he will provide commentary during NBA TV's coverage of Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. 'Shaq's ubiquity today is unmatched and what makes it even more fascinating is that it's post-career,'' Stacy Jones, a marketing expert and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told USA TODAY Sports. 'Most athletes peak in visibility during their prime and Shaq totally flipped that script.'' O'Neal was unavailable for an interview this week, according to his representatives. But his agents, Perry Rogers and Colin Smeeton, help paint a vivid picture of how O'Neal turned his millions in NBA wages into more millions — and became a household name. ANALYSIS: Haters gonna hate, but NBA's 3-point shot is crucial to winning titles ANALYSIS: Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals Rogers and Smeeton said before O'Neal retired in 2011 they read professional athletes on average lose 4% of the public's awareness after their playing careers end. 'And that freaked me out,'' Rogers told USA TODAY Sports. Also, O'Neal would be losing steady income — his playing salary that earned him a total of $286 million, according to The trick was figuring out how to generate more money. It was July 2011, a month after O'Neal officially retired, and ESPN and TNT (then known as Turner) were courting him as a potential NBA analyst. Rogers said he wanted to wait for offers from both networks and use them as leverage. Then, O'Neal spoke. 'He goes, 'Perry, you heard the pitches,' ' Rogers recalled. 'On the one hand, Turner just said that they're relationship people, that they don't need me, but they want me. I'm a relationship guy. 'Then you heard (an ESPN executive) say, 'Hey, I'm the most competitive (expletive) in the world. I'll build a whole show around you.' And what that means is if (ESPN) doesn't beat (TNT), I'm going to be taking the full blame. I'm not going to have time to develop. I don't have these reps yet.'' Rogers, who relayed the anecdote to USA TODAY Sports, said he complied with O'Neal's wishes and promptly negotiated a deal with TNT. The network's Emmy-winning "Inside the NBA" studio show proved to be an ideal platform to keep O'Neal visible. He needed time to develop his skills as a TV analyst. He also found the right chemistry working alongside former NBA players Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, and six-time Emmy winner Ernie Johnson. The quartet is headed to ABC/ESPN next season and O'Neal has agreed to a contract extention worth more than $15 million a year, according to Front Office Sports. 'One thing that's great about Shaquille is he lets you sort of manage him,'' Smeeton, O'Neal's other agent, told USA TODAY Sports. 'But at the same time, he trusts his instincts, and we certainly trust his instincts.'' OPINION: 'Inside the NBA' with Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq gave us so much more than basketball O'Neal did not treat retirement as an opportunity to take up golf and lounge by the pool. "That's just not the way he's wired,'' Smeeton said. "He's wired for 'OK, I still have this drive that made me one of the best players of all time. Now how am I going to apply that to other parts of my business?' And that was music to our ears.'' Leonard Armato, O'Neal's first agent, played a key role in helping shape the Shaq brand into a lucrative entity before the two parted ways in 2001 for undisclosed reasons. But without Armato and later without his basketball career, the brand kept booming. Rogers and Smeeton, hired by O'Neal after the split with Armato, helped refine the Shaq brand. In 2015, Sports Illustrated published a list of O'Neal's top 50 endorsements. The full list continues to balloon and includes the likes of Carnival Cruise Line, DraftKings, Hershey's, Papa John's and BeatBox Beverages. He also is deeply invested in the food services business, owning more than 30 Big Chicken franchises, which serve some of his childhood favorites. He once owned 155 Five Guys, the burger and fries joint, according to Yahoo Finance. 'Whether during basketball games, NFL games or programming beyond, Shaq has staying power that competes with just about any other celebrity,'' said Tyler Bobin, senior brand analyst at a company that tracks TV and streaming advertising. Rogers and Smeeton have focused on 'the fun business,'' which has led to O'Neal serving as an ambassador of fun in a slew of new TV commercials. Case in point: In his commercials for Carnival Cruise Line, O'Neal plays the role of the company's CFO — "Chief Fun Officer.'' Perhaps their biggest play came a decade ago, when Rogers and Smeeton brokered a deal to sell 51% of the Shaq brand to Authentic Brands Group (ABG). O'Neal, in turn, has become the second-largest shareholder in a company that owns brands for such luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe and David Beckham and whose subsidiaries include Champion and Reebok, which ABG acquired in 2022 at the behest of O'Neal. Smeeton indicated the partnership with ABG has helped propel O'Neal toward the $1 billion threshold for lifetime earnings. 'If he's not already there,'' Smeeton said, 'he'll be there soon.' The strength of O'Neal's brand has been tested. By O'Neal himself. During the most recent episode of his podcast, 'The Big Podcast with Shaq,'' O'Neal referred to the infidelities he has said led to divorce from his ex-wife, Shaunie. 'I am the voice for those that made a lot of mistakes and want to recover from the mistakes,'' said O'Neal, who has six children, including four with Shaunie. 'Because I always say, my biggest mistake was ruining my family by being dumb.'' There have been other setbacks for O'Neal. Like two civil lawsuits, one stemming from his endorsement of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and another stemming from involvement with the Astrals Non-Fungible Tokens project, which he settled this year for a total of $11 million. O'Neal and other celebrities were accused of misleading consumers into promoting unregistered securities for FTX and promoting unregistered securities for Astrals. But the Shaq brand has taken no discernible hit. Corporate America keeps lining up to partner with O'Neal, who in 2024 played a hands-on role in developing Shaq-a-Licious XL Gummies (cannabis free) with The Hershey Company. "He gets involved on a deeper level, and brands love that,'' said Jones, the CEO at Hollywood Branded. "His involvement isn't just about exposure, it's about strategic value. He shows up, he promotes and he often contributes behind the scenes. That's a big reason why brands keep coming back.'' O'Neal also has protected his business interests by steering clear of controversial political issues, said Kimberly A. Whitler, associate professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. 'That model – to maximize the number of consumers who support and appreciate the celebrity – requires focusing on creating broad appeal,'' Whitler told USA TODAY Sports. 'They do this by remaining largely apolitical, so they can appeal to liberals, independents, and conservative consumers.'' Michael Jordan is the blueprint when it comes to athletes developing brands, Jones said. 'He took his athletic legacy and elevated it into a luxury brand and that quiet, high-end exclusivity plays perfectly into his legacy,'' she said. O'Neal has embraced something else: the common man. New Air Jordan sneakers can cost upwards of $200. O'Neal's branded shoes on are available for $29.95. Rather than attempting to mimic Jordan's luxury brand, O'Neal's Big and Tall Collection is housed at JCPenney, with ribbed Polo shirts available for $17.49. Then there's his deal with The General, the insurance company known for affordable car insurance rates. 'I called Shaquille and said, 'Hey, look, we're talking to these folks. I don't know how you feel about it,' ' Rogers aid. 'And Shaquille goes, 'Do it.' (I said), 'Hold on a second. I haven't talked to you about anything. Why do you like this? 'And he said, 'I had The General for my insurance company. I know what it means to need affordable insurance.' ' Sometimes, with the cameras rolling and without, O'Neal has given away pizzas, shoes, clothes and hugs. He has bought other people vans, engagement rings and heaven only knows what else. In 2024, he received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for raising millions of dollars for charitable efforts through the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation. Last month, at the end of the last episode of "Inside the NBA" on TNT, O'Neal told the show's stage manager 'we put our money together and bought you a gift.'' He handed her a Louis Vuitton gift bag. Said Barkley, 'Shaq, in fairness, you should buy all the gifts. You got the most money.'' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shaq increasing fortune and fame as NBA Finals begin
