Shaquille O’Neal has publically talked about his poverty-stricken past. It’s tough to imagine that a man who boasts a net worth of $400 million today once struggled to put together $100 for his dream purchase. During a recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show, the big fella recalled his father refusing to buy him Jordans. As a kid with dreams of having J’s, Shaq resorted to doing odd jobs to get his favorite pair.
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Back in the day, collecting $100-$120 for a pair of shoes used to be a lot of money for the O’Neals. So, when Shaq asked his father to lend him the money to buy Jordans, he refused. The Lakers legend recalled,
“I asked my dad for some Jordans one time and that motherf***er looked at me like, ‘man, you better get the f**k out of my face.”
However, that didn’t stop Shaq from chasing his dream to get the shoes. He added, “I had to cut grass, f**king wash cars, and sell lemonade and all that bullsh*t.” Unfortunately, by the time Shaq managed to collect $110 for a pair, all he could buy was size 13 while he was size 15.
A young Shaq had to force his feet into the shoes, as a result, he now has messed up feet and shies away from showing them on camera.
However, one good thing came out of this entire experience. Shaq realized that many fans, especially young kids, dream of wearing the same shoes as their idols. But due to the financial shackles, they can’t always afford it. And that became one of the reasons why Shaq decided to launch affordable sneakers into the market.
Shaquille O’Neal cut ties with Reebok to make affordable shoes for kids
The big fella was one of the highest-paid athletes in the league in his prime. Naturally, he had major brands lined up for a chance to collaborate with him. One of Shaq’s biggest collaborators was Reebok. However, one post-game incident changed the trajectory of Shaq’s footwear business.
During a podcast appearance, in 2023, the big fella recalled being scolded by a woman for putting expensive shoes in the market as he was leaving the arena. He said,
“I’m leaving the arena one day and this lady is ripping me into it. ‘You motherf***ers, charging these babies all this money for the shoes’. I had like $2000 in my pocket, I was like, ma’am, I don’t make the prices, here you go. She smacked the money in my hand.”
The lady then suggested Shaq make affordable shoes instead and that very day, he made a call to Reebok to cut ties and started the ‘Shaq’ brand to provide kids with affordable yet stylish sneakers.
To sell his revolutionary product, he collaborated with the leading supermarket chain, Walmart, which went on to be a masterstroke by the big fella. Reportedly, they sold over 400 million pairs and provided his young fans a chance to be part of his legacy.
