10 Years Before Shaquille O’Neal Received $11,000,000 From Papa John’s, LeBron James Dropped 9 Percent Of That In A Savvy Pizza Deal Of His Own

In this day and age, athletes are becoming more and more aware of their fading stardom post-retirement. As such, countless stars have begun focusing on their brand and building themselves up outside of the sports they play. Two perfect examples of this are NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Both men have made incredibly business-savvy decisions that allow them to fuel their luxurious lifestyles. These decisions include endorsements and investments. One particular investment they have in common is in the Pizza industry, with Shaq even signing a $11,000,000 extension with Papa John’s 10 years after The King entered the industry himself.

Shaq’s brand is synonymous with that of Papa John’s by now. The Big Diesel has been working with the company for quite some time as an endorser and brand ambassador. In 2022, they took this partnership to the next level, as the Lakers legend signed a deal worth more than $11,000,000. The deal includes a mix of cash, stocks, and 20 cents on every box of Shaqoroni Pizza sold. Lucrative, to say the least.

LeBron James has found success in the pizza game just like Shaquille O’Neal

In 2012, LeBron James decided to invest just 9% of his own $11,000,000 contract in the Pizza industry. Dropping a cool $1,000,000 on Los Angeles-based ‘Blaze Pizza’. At the time, it was a relatively unknown franchise, due to only being popular in the Los Angeles area. King James’ investment saw him acquire 10% of the ownership.

Fast forward seven years and that measly $1,000,000 investment has netted him close to $35,000,000 in 2019. A significant increase that showcased the power LeBron holds. After all, it was his investment that saw the obscure franchise that was Blaze Pizza turn into a national sensation.

One of the ways in which Blaze Pizza gained nationwide attention was through the publicity The King gave them. In particular, he was featured in a YouTube video where he worked the cash register and took to the streets delivering pizza all by himself. A hilarious video that threw Blaze into the spotlight.

Blaze is just one of the many in LeBron’s investment portfolio. Just like with them, he’s helped countless other brands unlock their potential. All this has contributed to his now-massive $1,000,000,000 net worth. And, considering he still has some time left in his basketball career, his financial status will likely continue to remain positive for a long time.

The Big Aristotle has other fast-food investments outside of Papa John’s

Papa John’s, much like Blaze Pizza is to LeBron James, is an important part of Shaquille O’Neal’s investment portfolio. However, it is far from the only fast-food chain there. Papa John’s aside, Shaq has signed some lucrative deals with the likes of Krispy Kreme and most notably, Big Chicken.

A partial owner of the franchise, Shaquille O’Neal has been promoting Big Chicken for quite some time now. His presence has allowed the company to establish several high-profile locations across the United States. This includes an outlet in the $1,500,000,000 location that is the UBS Arena, the home of the NHL team, the New York Islanders.

At the end of the day, both Shaq and LeBron have incredible business acumen. They know how to spend their money and where to spend it. And, this is the primary reason why they are two of the richest athletes on planet Earth.