“$1 Billion! That’s how much Shaq’s business idea is worth!”: The Lakers legend’s college project fetched him an F

Shaq is an NBA legend and a successful businessman. However, his best business idea came when he was in college, it’s worth $1 Billion now!

Shaquille O’Neal is an NBA legend, a famous broadcaster, and a successful businessman. He has a great track record of investing and some of the brands he has touched have skyrocketed in value.

Naturally, you would wonder if he developed his business acumen through his financial manager, or has he possessed it all along?

A closer look at his time in college reveals that Shaq did indeed have a fine understanding of business and even had an idea, which would be worth a billion!

Shaq’s business idea received an “F” from his college professor.

That “idea” is now worth nearly $1 billion.

Here’s the quick story: pic.twitter.com/mHLScBuTXV

— Andrew Petcash (@AndrewPetcash) May 13, 2022

Also read: “Wilt Chamberlain has 2, Shaq has 1, and now Giannis Antetokounmpo joins the coveted list!”: The Bucks fall but the reigning Finals MVP puts up an absurd stat line

How Shaq sought to build his own brand before he stepped foot in the NBA!

Shaquille O’Neal was a marketing student at LSU and he had a great idea. Shaq wanted to make his own brand just like Michael Jordan’s Jumpman.

He wanted to name it Dunkman! He presented it as a part of a marketing project. The ask was, to find something that they could see being sold in the foreseeable future.

4) Dunkman.

MJ had Jumpman, so Shaq should have his own brand.

He created:
— Shaq everything

What the professor did next launched a billion dollar company… pic.twitter.com/nIMnhaRWOF

— Andrew Petcash (@AndrewPetcash) May 13, 2022

The professor at the time did not think too highly of the idea and gave it an F.  The reasoning was that big guys didn’t sell in the NBA. At the time, commercials were dominated by guards like Bird, Magic, and Michael Jordan.

Shaq eventually joined the NBA and signed with Reebok. He launched his own affordable brand and sold over 200 million pairs of shoes or $1 Billion in sales.

Also read: “Shaq, you and Kobe Bryant should’ve won more championships!”: When Charles Barkley and Lakers legend got into a heated argument over ‘Big Diesel’s time in LA