From franchises to Frosted Flakes, Shaquille O'Neal has changed what it means to be a retired athlete
LOS ANGELES — Shaq is everywhere.
Laughing it up with Charles Barkley on TNT. Serving as the post-crisis face of Papa John's pizza. Fist pumping for Carnival Cruise Line. Hawking Epson printers, air fryers, Icy Hot, car insurance, cereal and Shaqtoberfest.
"I've always been a businessman who is athletic," he said during a 2013 interview on CNBC.
There have been greats. There have been savvy athletes-turned-businesspeople. And of course, there have always been big personalities.
But none have melded it together into a multimillion-dollar, airwave-dominating, viral moment-making empire quite like Shaquille O'Neal.
The legendary NBA big man is now known to an even wider audience from the plethora of products he endorses, his basketball commentary on TNT and his extensive business portfolio, including such unrelated firms as the Majority ad agency, Ring doorbells and his own fast-food chain, Big Chicken.
"I think his brand is stronger now than it has ever been," said Natasha Brison, an associate professor at Texas A&M who specializes in athlete branding. "He's literally reshaped what it means to be a retired athlete."
O'Neal's sweeping interests
