Full Name
Shaquille O'Neal
Title
Guest Speaker
Company
Guest Speaker
Bio
Shaquille O’Neal first attracted attention for his towering physique on the basketball court, but it was his down to earth personality and effortless humor that helped him amass one of the most loyal fan bases in sports history. O’Neal’s authenticity combined with his business acumen and innovative mindset have transcended him into an endearing pop culture icon.
O’Neal’s NBA career spanned almost two decades. The amicable player from Newark who spent his boyhood shooting hoops at the Boys & Girls’ Club, was the first-round draft choice of the Orlando Magic in 1992. During the next 19 years he became arguably the most famous player in the league, winning four-time NBA championships, three All-Star Game MVP awards, and three Finals MVP awards, among other honors.
O’Neal built up a robust personal brand through his genuine love of interacting with fans. In 2009 he created the first verified celebrity account on Twitter. He energized followers by participating in campaigns like Random Acts, for which he would give away game tickets on the street or phone a fan. In 2011 he fittingly announced his retirement from basketball in a Tweet.
Knowing that 80% of professional athletes end up bankrupt, O’Neal invested highly in his personal education early on in his career, particularly his knowledge of business so that he could make informed decisions about the multiple offers he was approached with. Aside from having developed his own shoe line, television shows, and film parts, O’Neal is the joint-owner of 150 car washes, 155 Five Guys Burgers restaurants, 17 Aunt Annie’s Pretzels restaurants, a movie theater, a shopping center, 40 24-Fitness Centers, and a few Las Vegas night clubs. He holds a doctorate degree in education from Barry College in Florida and is a prominent philanthropic partner of the Boys and Girls Club association, which he credits to “keeping him out of trouble” throughout his youth.
O’Neal has also become an emissary for America’s police forces; he publicly notes that two Newark city police officers helped keep him “in-line” when he was a teen. O’Neal has served as a reserve officer in several of the communities where he’s lived and in 2016, he was sworn in as a member of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department in Georgia. He hopes to establish better relations between police and communities and restore respect for officers.
O’Neal’s NBA career spanned almost two decades. The amicable player from Newark who spent his boyhood shooting hoops at the Boys & Girls’ Club, was the first-round draft choice of the Orlando Magic in 1992. During the next 19 years he became arguably the most famous player in the league, winning four-time NBA championships, three All-Star Game MVP awards, and three Finals MVP awards, among other honors.
O’Neal built up a robust personal brand through his genuine love of interacting with fans. In 2009 he created the first verified celebrity account on Twitter. He energized followers by participating in campaigns like Random Acts, for which he would give away game tickets on the street or phone a fan. In 2011 he fittingly announced his retirement from basketball in a Tweet.
Knowing that 80% of professional athletes end up bankrupt, O’Neal invested highly in his personal education early on in his career, particularly his knowledge of business so that he could make informed decisions about the multiple offers he was approached with. Aside from having developed his own shoe line, television shows, and film parts, O’Neal is the joint-owner of 150 car washes, 155 Five Guys Burgers restaurants, 17 Aunt Annie’s Pretzels restaurants, a movie theater, a shopping center, 40 24-Fitness Centers, and a few Las Vegas night clubs. He holds a doctorate degree in education from Barry College in Florida and is a prominent philanthropic partner of the Boys and Girls Club association, which he credits to “keeping him out of trouble” throughout his youth.
O’Neal has also become an emissary for America’s police forces; he publicly notes that two Newark city police officers helped keep him “in-line” when he was a teen. O’Neal has served as a reserve officer in several of the communities where he’s lived and in 2016, he was sworn in as a member of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department in Georgia. He hopes to establish better relations between police and communities and restore respect for officers.
