"Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson those names live forever" - Shaquille O'Neal reveals why he signed up with Authentic Brands group

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal revealed his motives for signing with the Authentic Brands Group (ABG) on the Impaulsive podcast. The big man stated that he wanted to be mentioned in the same breath as icons like Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, and ABG felt like his pathway in reaching that status.

Shaquille O'Neal raked in big money during his playing days. But the four-time NBA champion kept on expanding his business portfolio even after his retirement. Amongst all his investments through the years, Shaq's biggest investment was in Authentic Brands Group.

O'Neal has owned Authentic Brands Group's shares since 2015 when the company brought rights to his personal name brand. Over time, Shaquille's trust in the company has continued to grow and he is presently the second-largest individual shareholder. Shaquille's faith in the company reaped fruit when ABG ended up buying Reebok this year.

Shaquille O'Neal's partnership with Authentic Brands Group

Over the course of time, certain athletes and pop-stars have etched massive status for themselves. Shaquille O'Neal, like various others, has been trying to reach that pedestal. O'Neal grew up watching basketball stars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson conquer the league in the 80s. Michael Jordan burst onto the scene and took the game global in the 90s leading to a massive upstage in personal branding. The 'Jordan' brand is still the biggest brand in sports even decades after Michael's retirement.

O'Neal wants to create a brand for himself along the same lines and eventually get on the same pedestal. The big man felt like ABG was his best bet to acquire more wealth. Shaq spoke about the same on the Impaulsive podcast during his latest interview. He said the following:

When I was a youngster, like when you're watching basketball and you see Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Air Jordan and I said to myself, I wanna have a name like that. And I realized I did have a name like that, 'Shaquille O'Neal'. So, you know, going into this I said to myself when I'm done playing, I wanna still be relevant, I wanna still be looked at, you know, like Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson those names live forever. So in order to do that, I just had to sign partner with the company such as Authentic Brands Group. And you know, we've been doing really big things.

Net Worth of Shaquille O'Neal in 2022

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the wealthiest players to play in the NBA. With massive contracts, endorsement deals and smart investment choices over the course of time, the 'Big Diesel' has certainly earned a lot of money.

According to media outlets, O'Neal is estimated to have a net worth of around $400 million. The former NBA megaster made around $292 million during his playing days. After retiring from basketball, the Hall of Famer joined the critically acclaimed basketball television show 'NBA on TNT'. With his television gigs, brand endorsement deals and business endeavors, O'Neal is estimated to rake in around $60 through his various gigs every year.