Mark Cuban once dreamed of bringing Shaquille O’Neal to the Dallas Mavericks, but life had other ideas. The universe may not have aligned for them on the court, but it certainly found a way to bring them together in business. Even then, it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. For those who might not know, Cuban and Shaq had their sights set on NBA ownership, planning to team up when the league expanded. Adam Silver had announced in 2023 that the NBA would bring in new teams by 2025, once the media rights deal was renewed. Now, despite that deal being locked in, expansion talks have reportedly been pushed to 2027. So, destiny made other plans to bring O’Neal and Cuban together.

Both Cuban and Shaq are now key investors in BeatBox, an Austin-based RTD cocktail brand. Shaquille O’Neal made his big entrance to the brand, going all in with a commercial to push sales. But that’s not all—he even launched his own flavor, Blueberry Lemonade, which comes with an alcohol content of 11.1 percent.

Cuban, however, has been backing BeatBox for years. If you’ve followed Shark Tank, you might remember the moment in 2014 when he saw something special in the brand. He didn’t hesitate, putting down $1 million for a one-third stake—one of the biggest deals the show had ever seen. Fast forward to today, and Cuban and Shaq are officially in this together. Their first big joint appearance?

It came straight from the official Instagram handle of Shaquille O’Neal’s Bass All Stars Festival.

“I was shocked to see Shaq come in. Obviously, we’ve known each other and been friends for a long time… It’s a great match because the Beatbox beverage guys are great business people. They’re dominating the industry. Now with Shaq. We’re going for number one,” Cuban said.

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Cuban and O’Neal have come a long way in their bond with each other, considering their previous dynamics.

Shaquille O’Neal didn’t have a likable first impression of Mark Cuban

Shaquille O’Neal has never been one to hold back, whether it’s on the court or off it. But when he first crossed paths with Mark Cuban, let’s just say they didn’t exactly hit it off. Shaq once admitted on The Big Podcast with Shaq that he wasn’t a fan of Cuban in the beginning. Why so? Apparently, the Mavericks owner wasted no time in trash-talking, even though they didn’t really know each other. Imagine meeting someone for the first time, and they immediately start calling you out—that’s exactly what happened with Shaq.

Cuban made it a habit to yell at referees whenever the Big Aristotle was in the paint, constantly calling for three-second violations. It got under Shaq’s skin, and this all happened before 2001—something Cuban himself pointed out by mentioning that Shaq was still with his longtime agent, Leonard Armato, back then.

Looking back, Cuban didn’t deny it. “Shaq didn’t like me right at the beginning,” he commented. But as time went on, things changed. What started as on-court tension eventually gave way to mutual respect, proving that even the biggest personalities can move past first impressions.