Shaquille O’Neal’s Long-Time Agent Reveals the Reason Shaq Did Not Choose Nike

Apart from being a 4-time champion, Shaq is a brand himself. From electrifying DJ performances to iconic ad spots, Big Diesel has truly excelled off the court. And there’s one man who spearheaded this vision, his former agent, Leonard Armato.

The former sports agent and CEO of Management Plus Enterprises was on NETWORK’s Grammy’s and Heisman’s talk show. He shed light on his approach with a young Shaquille O’Neal. Leonard recalled how, after landing Shaq, he wanted to help the big man become a marketing go-to like Michael Jordan was.

Armato explained, “Because Michael Jordan was the ultimate pitch-man. I mean, you couldn’t beat him in terms of endorsing products.”

Instead of competing in Jordan’s arena, Armato wanted to innovate. He wanted to platform his new client in a way that would revolutionize how people viewed sports marketing.

“And so when I got with Shaq, I said, ‘Look, let’s figure out how you could own your own IP as opposed to having Nike own your IP’,” the former agent explained.

Armato wanted to create a situation where, if his client made the next Air Jordans, they wouldn’t receive royalties on it; they would own 100% of it. It might have been this analogy and its perceived consequences that steered Shaq away from Nike and toward Reebok. After all, O’Neal’s agent was actively warning him against giving up control of his name.

What Armato truly wanted to achieve, then, was the cultural positioning of his clients, not just as athletes, but as cultural institutions. He recalled thinking, “How can we take it and get other companies to use their money to build your brand, but you maintain control?”

This philosophy helped O’Neal pursue his own brand at Walmart after leaving Reebok in 1998. It also inspired many of O’Neal’s lucrative off-court ventures. “Shaq could act, Shaq could rap, Shaq could own a record label, Shaq could get a production company,” Armato stated.

Of course, the agent helped Diesel pursue all of these interests. Shaq and Armato founded T.W.Is.M (The World Is Mine) Records in 1993, Armato helped the big man land several commercial spots and even the feature film ‘Kazam’.

Though Shaq and his agent didn’t spend all of his career together, it’s clear that Armato’s mindset rubbed off on Big Diesel. In 2020, Shaq co-founded the Jersey Legends production company, officially cementing himself as a business mogul and fulfilling the dreams his former agent had for the 7-footer.