“I don’t look at them as endorsements, I look at them as partnerships” - Shaquille O’Neal recalls rejecting cereal brand Wheaties after his first and second championship
Shaquille O’Neal is who won four NBA championships. He has become one of the most marketable and recognizable athletes in America, which has led to a lot of endorsement offers. O’Neal is not only a businessman, he is a brand unto himself. This has resulted in him carefully considering which brands he aligns himself with.
One such brand was Wheaties, who approached Shaquille O’Neal to promote their box of cereal. However, O'Neal views endorsements as "partnerships" and did not feel particularly connected to the product. Speaking to Business Insider, he tells the story of how he ultimately turned the deal down:
“I look at them [endorsements] like partnerships. I am very picky. If I am not in tune to the product, if I don’t like the product, I won’t do it. I always tell the story about after I won my first championship. Wheaties wanted me to be on the cover. Never ate Wheaties, so I turned them down. Second championship, same thing.”
Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal tells us why he didn't sign a deal with Wheaties https://t.co/zoGS65jbs8
Shaquille O’Neal's ability to stay true to himself is worthy of appreciation. Many people might have opted to take the money, but O’Neal did not feel right being paid to promote a product he didn't use.
Shaquille O’Neal'ss career after the NBA
The 15-time All-Star played 19 years in the NBA, playing for six teams. The height of his career was from 1993-2006, playing for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Miami Heat. He averaged 26.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks during those 14 years of dominance.
In the after-glow of his stellar career Shaquille O’Neal has developed into one of the most successful retired NBA players ever. His second act has seen him become an NBA analyst, while pursuing different business ventures. Fans can regularly find O’Neal on NBA on TNT analyzing games and having fun with his co-hosts on the show.
Drummond thought he was a point guard with this behind-the-back pass 😅 https://t.co/wX4raBevVw
His weekly Shaqtin’ a Fool segment is one of the funniest additions to the Inside NBA TV show on TNT. The segment even has its own Twitter account with over 300 thousand followers. It takes the real-life game bloopers of NBA players and puts them in a highlight format for fans to vote on.
The popularity of the show is completely driven by Shaquille O'Neal's larger-than-life personality and it's hard to imagine the show would have made it to its eighth season without him at the forefront.
O’Neal's has udoubtedly found that life after an NBA career can be extremely rewarding, as he is constantly kept busy by his endorsements, shooting product commercials and a host of other media appearances. All while still staying connected to the game of basketball as an analyst.