Shaquille O'Neal left his mark on the court as one of the greatest centers in NBA history, but he's also earned respect since retiring, not least for his witty, stinging criticism as a television commentator, who also , but because of his ability to invest in successful businesses that have made him an even richer person than when he played.
He has a special nose for detecting where he can make money and does not hesitate to invest. But money, he has shown many times, is not the only important thing for him. Many times he has shown his generosity with those most in need, donating large sums to charities and paying the expenses of people without resources who needed it. He has been seen from paying for a burial of a stranger to inviting homeless people to eat.
That's what motivated him to turn down a great offer from Reebok while he was still active in the NBA. The footwear multinational offered him eight million dollars a year for five seasons to wear his shoes, and when he was about to accept, he had a revealing and casual encounter with a fan that made him reject that millionaire.
Shaquille himself revealed it in the Full Send Podcas: "I had a contract with Reebok for 40 million for five years," he explained. "And one day when I was leaving the field, a lady began to rebuke me saying things like 'You guys are to blame for charging these kids so much money for their shoes!'"
That made him reflect on what he was about to do: "I thought about it. I was like, 'You know he's right.' So that day, I cut ties with Reebok," Shaq confessed. "...I called them up and said, 'Keep the money. This is not cool. I don't want there to be a fight. I'll keep wearing their shoes for the rest of the season, but I'll find my own way to make it better.'"
Shaq then entered into negotiations with Walmart and they immediately reached an agreement to make some low-cost sneakers. And while he didn't hear many kids say, "Hey, Mom, I want the Shaq 5's for my birthday," it's a gesture that honors him for thinking of the underprivileged who wanted to play basketball back then.
His shoes might not be as pretty or stylish as Jordans, Nikes, or Adidas, but they were affordable, and he gave back some of what he produced to the basketball community. Undoubtedly a commendable gesture, one more, from Shaquille O'Neal.
