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Through his dominant career in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal achieved almost everything. In addition, he also earned a lot of wealth. However, despite having the riches, Shaq is humble towards the unfortunate. Even when it came to his signature shoe line, he took the same approach. While speaking in an interview, the Big Diesel talked about how he competed with Michael Jordan in the sneaker market.

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While Shaq is one of the most successful entrepreneurs. His beginnings did not start from fortune. His childhood was tough, and he had to fight through the struggle before getting success. After earning a spot in the NBA, his life changed. But he did not forget his path to success.

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Shaq spoke about breaking his deal with Reebok and launching an affordable shoe that competed with Jordan.

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Shaquille O’Neal always thinks about the kids

Shaq explained how he came into the NBA with a sneaker during an interview. He got a $40 million offer for 7 years offer. However, his thoughts went out to the kids who can not afford these shoes. He wanted to create an affordable shoe of good quality. Shaq spoke about the Jordans and said, ‘Kids can’t really afford that. Hence, he went on to launch his line in Walmart called ‘Dunkman’.

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He said, “We’re going to sell good shoes at a cheap price. It’s not that kids don’t want to wear $29 shoes, they don’t want to wear shoes that look like they cost $29. That’s the deciding factor what people don’t understand. So we use the dame leather, same factories, all that stuff. It’s just that my price point going to be different.”

“The shoes I am seeing at Walmart, I could sell them at 70, 80, 90 and have a bigger profit margin. But I am not going to do that to the kids anymore.”

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After his training with the Magic, Shaq had an encounter with a lady. She told him to make affordable shoes. This hit Shaq differently, and he immediately went to act upon it. Getting in contact with Walmart, Shaq sells shoes that look close to the infamous Jordans. Despite using the same material, his shoes are much more affordable.

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Shaquille O’Neal explained how he wants kids to feel they are wearing good shoes. While they may not be the Jordans, the Big Diesel has seen immense success. He has sold over 150 million pairs of shoes and made kids all over happy. Despite having a large net worth, Shaq helped bridge the gap for the unfortunate with his heartful move.

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Anuj Talwalkar

4,503 Articles

Anuj Talwalkar is a senior NBA Newsbreak specialist at EssentiallySports, trusted for his real-time coverage and fast, accurate updates on league developments. With five NBA seasons and two Olympics coverages under his belt, Anuj stands out as the go-to reporter for the NBA Matchday Newsdesk. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, he continuously refines his hard reporting with grounded storytelling shaped by fan culture and court-level insights. An economics graduate and lifelong OKC fan since the Supersonics era, Anuj combines analytical thinking and a genuine passion for basketball. He’s recognized for both his live news coverage and feature writing, with aspirations to someday interview Russell Westbrook. Anuj’s reporting is marked by its reliability, depth, and strong connection to the pulse of the NBA.

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