Shaquille O’Neal loves a nickname. The Hall of Famer has been anointed with several, like Shaq, The Big Aristotle, and others he picked for himself, like Diesel, Superman, Shaq Fu, and Shaq Daddy. While all of these are intriguing, particularly the ones that he chose. His son Shareef might have the most apt nickname for his father.
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On the At The Buzzer podcast, the host brought up the 24-year-old helping Shaq run Reebok’s basketball division and asked whether he or the Lakers icon would make a better boss. Without hesitation, Shareef responded,
“He would [be the better boss]. I call him the ‘Main Character.’ That’s his contact name on my phone. He’s the main character for sure anywhere he goes. You just got to be around [him] and [you’ll know] he’s the main character.”
He added that his father’s carefree and aloof personality is a front because, behind closed doors, he’s a valley of wisdom and knowledge and a savvy businessman, humble enough to hear everyone’s opinion. He said,
“He’ll listen to me on something but he’s super super smart. Way smarter than actually what most people would think. He’s a very intelligent person… He knows stuff you wouldn’t even expect him to know.”
Shaquille O’Neal was never academically inclined, but was very street-smart. When he became a multi-millionaire overnight after getting drafted in 1992, he was modest enough to listen to those wiser than him.
He invested most of what he earned to ensure he kept making money even after retiring. It helped Shaq amass a net worth of over $400 million. Despite having generational wealth, Diesel won’t let his kids burn through it. Instead, he expects academic excellence from them in exchange for a share of his money.
Shaq’s ingenious tactic to ensure his kids worked hard
During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Shaq revealed his number 1 rule. He told his kids that they would either have to earn millions on their own like their father did. Or they’d have to work tirelessly in school to get a chunk of his wealth. He said,
“My most famous rule is: in order to touch any of my cheese, you have to present me two degrees. Their father is very successful. So, as a father, I’m not going to give them handouts. They have got to get a bachelors and a masters.”
The four-time NBA champion’s thought process is understandable. He grew up in abject poverty and his family’s financial condition was in dire straits until he worked hard and became the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft.
His kids grew up in mansions, surrounded by every amenity money could buy, which isn’t their fault. But it also didn’t help them understand how difficult gaining financial freedom is. O’Neal will obviously come to his children’s aid in their time of need. But he wants them to be able to stand on their own two feet without any handouts from their father.
