Shaquille O’Neal was quite the basketball player, but he has found much success off the court as well. Big Diesel is a business-savvy man who has accumulated a net worth of close to $400 million. He has made money off several of his ideas, but his first at the age of 19 was looked down on. As he revealed on The Jordan Harbinger Show, back in LSU, Shaq’s professor gave him an “F” in marketing for his idea. An idea that made him millions of dollars after selling 120,000,000 pairs of shoes.
Advertisement
The four-time NBA Champion had quite the college career. He spent three years at LSU, where he showcased his dominance. Averaging 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 assists per game he was one of the best. And, through it all, he still found time to attend classes and pursue his education.
Shaquille O’Neal got an “F” when an LSU professor thought his idea to market himself was bad
Back in his college days, Shaquille O’Neal made time to pursue his education. Despite being a basketball superstar, earning a degree was always important to The Big Aristotle. And, over the years his education has proven useful, especially on the business side of things.
However, there were those who doubted his business acumen. When he was 19 years old, Shaq took on a marketing project at LSU that earned him an “F”. It was an embarrassing moment for O’Neal, as his marketing professor presented him with a humiliating grade in front of the entire class.
The Hall of Famer had come up with ideas for Shaq hats, Shaq shirts, and of course Shaq shoes. Fast forward decades later to 2016, and the big man has sold 120,000,000 pairs of Shaq shoes starting at $12 and going up to $40. Essentially, making millions and proving his professor wrong.
“When I first came in, I was upset before because I got an F in marketing. The marketing teacher at LSU said, ‘Give me something, product, or something that you can see sold in the future.’ So you know me, I came up with Shaq hats, Shaq shoes, Shaq shirt and he embarrassed me in class. He said, ‘All I see you put a lot of originality in this’ and gave me an F in front of everybody. And I asked him why, he said, ‘When you look at the nature of marketing and NBA, big guys never sell.’”
It’s safe to say that Shaq’s professor probably regrets his statement. But, credit needs to be given to the big man. He is a business guru who has made his fortune not because of his claim to fame, but rather because he does what is best for his fans and customers.
Shaq once walked away from a huge deal with Reebok in order to make more affordable shoes
For the longest time, Shaquille O’Neal was the face of Reebok’s basketball division. The Shaq Attack line was incredibly popular, but after six years with the apparel company, he decided to leave. Why? Well, Shaq claims he turned down $40 million from Reebok because the shoes were too expensive.
He came to this conclusion after a mother he met admonished him for selling shoes children couldn’t afford. So, he partnered with Walmart to create more affordable footwear.
This just goes to show what kind of businessman O’Neal is. It’s not about the money but rather connecting with the people, giving back to the community, and giving them products they want and can afford.
