Reebok CEO on Shaquille O’Neal after signing him: “He wore a red leather Reebok jacket to Nike campus… This is who Shaq is”

Shaquille O’Neal is never one to shy away from being the centre of attention.

Throughout his career, O’Neal was known for being the outgoing funny guy in the locker room. Whether he was running around in his birthday suit during practice, or making fun of his longtime friend Charles Barkley, 'The Diesel' knows how to have a good time.

Standing at over seven feet tall, it's no secret that the NBA Hall of Famer has more leeway than most when it comes to what he can get away with. After all, who could possibly stand in his way?

Such was his mindset after he signed with Reebok, inking a deal that paid him $15 million per year.

After he had done so, Shaq didn't play politics when it came to other shoe brands. According to a story that was recently told by Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky, Shaq even went so far as to wear a Reebok jacket to the Nike campus. In typical Shaquille O’Neal fashion, he did so simply because he felt like it.

"He wore a red leather Reebok jacket to Nike campus. Because he already made his decision. He was like, 'I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna show them,' this is who Shaq is."

These comments came during a recent episode of the Complex Sneakers podcast.

Watch the interview below (quotes at the 29-minute mark):

Shaquille O'Neal and his history with Reebok

After inking a deal with Reebok, Shaquille O'Neal set out to create his own affordable brand after a woman scolded him about the price of his shoes. The big man felt bad about the situation and ultimately wound up creating his own brand within Reebok.

With that, O'Neal had an affordable line of shoes that allowed kids to wear sneakers that looked more expensive than they were. Ultimately, 'The Big Aristotle' had positioned himself to become a part owner of Reebok when the opportunity presented itself.

Krinsky spoke about the NBA Hall of Famer's ownership in Reebok:

"It's like been a passion for him to own Reebok for a really long time. He's been really driving the authentic group to get involved. Every time the rumor came that Reebok was for sale, he was texting me, he was calling. So he's very active now, he's texting me with ideas weekly."

What may be most impressive about Shaquille O'Neal is that he wound up building himself quite the business empire upon retiring from the NBA. Thanks to hundreds of restaurants, coin-operated washing machines, and other businesses to his name, O'Neal has wound up amassing a net worth of over $400 million.

Below, you can see a breakdown of how Shaquille O'Neal wound up creating a business empire. His accountant, Lester, guided him through his financial journey from draft day onwards.

Watch the video below: