21 Years After Offensive Joke on Venus Williams, Shaquille O’Neal Set to Share Stage With Tennis Legend

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country. Some of his most lucrative business investments have been Papa John’s Auntie Annie’s, Car Washes, Five Guys, and 24-hour fitness. His smart investments have earned him a net worth of $400 million.

The four-time NBA champ is finally set to take the center stage at the Black Entrepreneurs Day celebration on October 27. Shockingly, Shaq would be joined by Venus Williams on the show curated by Daymond John.

Shaq and Venus have not shared any kind of fruitful conversation over the last 21 years. O’Neal was with the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2001. During an interview with the Los Angeles radio station, Shaq made some offensive comments about sleeping with tennis star Venus Williams. The seven-time Grand Slam winner condemned the then-Lakers center for his offensive comments toward her. She reckoned that if Shaq had made a joke, it was in bad taste. In addition, Williams said O’Neal’s remarks were not good for her reputation.

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Shaquille O’Neal admitted later that his comment was not true, and that he meant it as a joke. Following criticism from Venus, Shaq stated that he made the whole thing up and apologized to all three women involved in the matter. Shaq received a lot of backlash after the incident and the fans have not forgotten about the controversy to date.

Shaquille O’Neal and Venus Williams come together for The Black Entrepreneurship day

Finally, Shaquille O’Neal and Venus Williams will be sharing a stage for the first time since the incident at Black Entrepreneurs Day. Thus, it would be interesting to see how things go when Shaquille and Venus face each other during the celebration day. Recently, Shaq shared the poster of the upcoming event in his Instagram story.

Venus Williams played her last Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2017. The 42-year-old has not retired yet. However, she has shifted her attention to successful business ventures in recent years. Williams has her own apparel line, Eleven. Her endorsement deals have brought her $11.3 million, making her the highest-paid female athlete in 2022, despite being away from tennis. Moreover, Venus also executive produced the 2021 film “King Richard,” which depicts the story of her father. Her current net worth is around $95 million.

Several other budding entrepreneurs like Killer Mike, Spike Lee, and Tracee Ellis Ross will also be a part of the Game Changer Conversations alongside Shaq and Venus. Angela Yee will co-host The Black Entrepreneurship Day, and Big Sean will give a special musical performance as well. In addition, the show would be free-streamed worldwide on Facebook.

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The moment of truth finally comes in front of Shaquille O’Neal on October 27. He regrets making those offensive comments in the past. Hopefully, Venus Williams would have forgotten the bygones and forgiven Shaq for his mistakes.