“A Lot of NBA Players Don’t Have Anything”: Shaquille O’Neal Speaks on His Ideology for Running a Successful Business

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the greatest and most dominant basketball players ever to play the game, but he may be an even bigger force in the business world. An omnipresent pitchman, Shaq has attached himself to products as diverse as Icy Hot, The General Car Insurance, Papa John’s Pizza, and Gold Bond Powder. In his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Saturday, he stated that his goal is to help companies grow and be successful.

Shaq won four NBA championships during his career—three with the Lakers and one with the Heat—and he brings that same winning mindset to his business partnerships as well. “Being a sports guy, I have the mentality of, ‘What can I do as a great player to help you win the championship?'” he said.

That collaborative attitude has made Shaq a coveted business partner, and as McAfee pointed out, he doesn’t partner with people unless he believes in them. The results speak for themselves.

Shaq credited his stepfather Phillip A. Harrison, who was an ex-Army Sergeant in Jamaica, for instilling in him a love of education and a desire to be successful beyond the basketball court, which is something he wishes more players would emulate.

“I know a lot of NBA players that don’t have anything, so I’m glad that I have the opportunity,” Shaq added.

When it comes to Harrison, Shaq’s favorite story is about the time in his childhood when they were once going in their car and they saw a homeless guy. The stranger, who was hungry for days, turned out as a veteran who had served in the US Army before.

Harrison gave up all the remaining money he had at the time and the 5 remaining cheeseburgers that he had bought, which Shaq was supposed to eat.

“My father had $20, and he gave it all,” Shaq once said in an interview with Graham Bensinger.

However, after doing such a noble act, Harrison looked to Shaq and said – “”If you ever make it big time, make sure you help those in need.” Those words stuck with Shaq forever and according to him, has played a big role in him amassing an estimated net worth above $500 million, as he has made more money than he did as a successful basketball player.

Shaq also made an interesting revelation on the Pat McAfee Show that he never knows ahead of time how much he’s making in any of his business deals, because he’d rather believe in the product first instead of worrying about the monetary aspect. After that, whatever happens, happens.

Shaquille O’Neal is a very smart businessman

It would be easy for someone as ubiquitous as Shaq to be seen as an annoying sellout, but it’s a testament to the way he conducts business and his life off the court that he’s so universally beloved. Shaq’s history of helping people and helping businesses makes him one of the good guys, which probably contributes to his companies’ success.

Case in point: Shaq was promoting his Shaq-A-Licious XL gummy candies on McAfee’s show. Despite McAfee’s preference for chocolate, he praised the sour Shaq gummies as “the best gummies I’ve ever tasted.” Could that be a talk show host helping his guest promote his latest product? Of course, but do I now feel compelled to go buy a bag to find out for myself? Yes, I do.

It’s been almost 26 years since Chris Dudley threw the ball at Shaq after being viciously dunked on, and honestly, it’s difficult to imagine anyone ever getting that mad at Shaq now. That’s why businesses want to work with him and people want the products he’s selling.

Current NBA players take note: This is how you do it.