Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal is not only one of the greatest and most dominant players in NBA history, he has also made quite a name for himself in the business world following his retirement.
Much like Magic Johnson, O’Neal used his basketball platform for continued success despite his playing career being over. Of course, O’Neal is most known for his spot alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” but he also has become quite the entrepreneur.
O’Neal can be seen on TV screens even when basketball isn’t being played, as he’s the spokesperson for several popular brands. He also is hugely into restaurant franchising, owning a number of Five Guys locations and having his own chicken and burger establishments.
O’Neal credited Johnson as one of two sources of his business knowledge, the second being Shark Tank’s Daymond John, as he revealed in an interview during a “Black Entrepreneurs Day” live stream:
“I know what you’re getting ready to ask me, so I’m going to go ahead and answer it for you. Where did I get my business acumen from? I got it from two people. Magic Johnson, when I first got to L.A., said, ‘Shaq, it’s OK to be famous and all that, but at some point, you want to start owning things.’
“So the first thing I said was, ‘I want to own a clothing line.’ So I’m doing my little thing, own my clothing line, and I’m looking at the numbers. I see FUBU and their numbers are killing my numbers. Now I’m like, ‘Man, who are these FUBU cats?’ I started watching them and I learned a lot. We met, you always took care of me, you always gave me knowledge. You and Magic helped me get started.”
Johnson is one of the prime examples of turning a great playing career into an even more successful business career following retirement. Meanwhile, John is one of the United States’ most affluent investors, with his main expertise being in clothing.
Following the advice of those two, O’Neal is likely in store for more accomplishments in the business world.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis humbled by O’Neal and Kobe Bryant comparison
While O’Neal ventures into the business world, his dominance on the basketball court will not be forgotten. People were reminded of his greatness through comparisons to the pairing of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Following the Lakers championship run, Davis and James were humbled by those saying that they resembled O’Neal and Kobe Bryant during their three-peat in the early 2000s.
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