When Shaquille O’Neal entered the league, he wasn’t like any other superstar in the NBA. Apart from the ability to move swiftly at 7 feet, he also possessed a certain charisma that connected with the youth. This made him a dream for the brands hungry for sports icons. The fact that Shaq was compared to greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain further validated his case as a mouth-watering prospect. But his agent Leonard Armato also saw a likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Shaq was instantly marketable, and brands like Reebok milked every ounce of his ability to attract the younger generation. It helped that Shaq was a talented and confident individual with a charming personality. A former number-one pick in the 1992 NBA draft, he already had made millions before stepping on the basketball court.
O’Neal had once revealed that his LSU professor gave him an ‘F’ in the marketing class and told him that big men don’t sell. This did not sit well with him, and he entered the NBA intending to build his brand. Looking back on his career, he achieved everything he set out to do and more. And he proved his professor wrong as well.
Shaquille O’Neal’s agent and his weird crossover
It was an era when the sports business was becoming as popular as the entertainment industry. In fact, sports was the new form of entertainment, and the players were its characters, and Shaq’s agent had the wackiest description of his character. Here is what Leonard Armato said to Rolling Stone:
“In a lot of ways, the NBA has already become an entertainment company. [NBA commissioner] David Stern says it’s just like Disney. He’s got these characters, Michael Jordan and Shaq, who sell merchandise the same way Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck sell toys for Disney. Shaq is a combination of Bambi and the Terminator.”
That’s the weirdest crossover one can think of. However, Armato knew what he was speaking about. As displayed by his numerous acts of generosity, Shaq is a kind-hearted person off-the-court with an infectious smile. However, it’s a whole other story on the court. He was ferocious and dominated the game with physical authority.
As mentioned before, Shaq was not like other superstars. The legends he grew up watching, like Kareem and Chamberlain, dominated the game at their position and were not known to display their soft side.
They did not have the same connection with the fans and weren’t nearly as approachable. As a matter of fact, Kareem refused to speak to Shaq during a commercial shoot leading to a sour relationship.
Shaquille O’Neal’s sour relationship with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
In 1993, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left without speaking to Shaquille O’Neal during a commercial shoot and never reached out to him when the latter joined the Lakers. This began an animosity that lasted for decades. A young Shaq had idolized the legend and longed for words of inspiration at the start of his career.
The relationship finally got a chance to blossom recently when Kareem addressed the issue on ‘NBA on TNT’. He resolved the differences and appreciated Shaq’s game.
In response, Shaq described how he drew motivation from the relationship and decided to improve his game to impress him. In a heartfelt segment that left the viewers teary-eyed, they resolved their differences, much to everyone’s delight.
