Shaquille O’Neal made it clear he didn’t want another basketball player in the O’Neal household. However, true to any child’s nature, his son Shareef went in that direction anyway. But he was relieved when Shareef agreed to help with rebranding and collaborated with him on Reebok projects, because it was risky for the young gun to pursue ball after being diagnosed with a serious heart problem. Big Diesel, however, now feels it’s time to reward his son’s talent even more. 

Hot Free Style shared a video clip of Shareef O’Neal on Instagram, and it’s full of energy alongside a two-fold announcement. Surrounded by shoes, clothes, and a logo all too familiar, Shaq’s son looked at some designs on the table and said, “Oh hell no,” while crushing the old ones. 

“So you just let me take over, man. Obviously, you see our show better than you. Obviously, the shoe is way cooler. It’s not your time anymore, old man, I got this now,” Shareef said as he tossed aside the old shoes and proudly flaunted new ones. Yes, the Creative Strategist seems to be officially taking over Shaq’s brand!

Shaq sits today atop a $500 million business empire, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Back in 1998, he made a bold move that would shape his career off the court: turning down a five-year, $40 million deal with Reebok. Why? The reason was personal, and to Shaq, it remains the “best business decision” he’s ever made: the birth of the Shaq Brand.

The turning point came unexpectedly during a surprising encounter with a hassled mother. Shaq remembers the moment vividly. “This lady ripped me a new a—–,” he recalled. She was furious about the skyrocketing prices of Reebok shoes, but why lash out at Shaq? Because he was the face of the brand.

“She called me a m——– and said, ‘You’re charging these babies all this money for shoes.’ I had $2,000 in my pocket and tried to give it to her.” But she wasn’t having it. “She smacked the money out of my hand and said, ‘Why don’t you make a shoe that’s affordable?’” This planted the seed for what would become a game-changing idea.

He walked away from Reebok and set out to make sneakers that kids could actually afford, priced between $15 and $29. Skeptics doubted that children would want “cheap” shoes, but Shaq had a vision. “It’s not kids that don’t want to wear $20 shoes. It’s that they don’t want to wear shoes that look like they cost $20,” he explained. His gamble paid off; partnering with Walmart, the big guy’s affordable footwear line sold over 400 million pairs by 2021!

And in the new Netflix series Power Moves, Shaquille O’Neal opened up about passing the torch to his son. “Well, Shareef is now at the SHAQ Brand and I’m letting him do what he do. I wouldn’t say we’re having a rift, but he’s just doing something that makes me proud,” he said.

Shareef’s move is a clear example of how dedicated the kids are in upholding the O’Neal legacy, especially considering Big Diesel’s other children are also involved with him in some way or another.

Taahirah is running the show at Big Chicken, Myles is making waves as a DJ and one-half of the O’Neal Boyz, and Me’Arah earned a shoutout in her dad’s Hall of Fame speech as a rising star in women’s basketball. With so much talent in the family, it made perfect sense that Shaq put Shareef in charge of the sneaker side of his empire.

Shaq and Shareef: Rebranding Reebok together

Shaquille O’Neal returned to where it all began: Reebok. In October 2023, he stepped in as the company’s president and not just its on-court face. His mission was clear: revamp the brand’s basketball strategy and strengthen ties with athletes and organizations. One of the big guy’s first moves as president was helping secure a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal for LSU star Angel Reese. The goal was simple: connect with younger fans and expand the brand’s reach.

But Shaq knew he needed fresh ideas, someone who could really understand the younger generation. That’s when he turned to Shareef, bringing him into the Reebok fold to help with designs and player signings. At the time, he was considering a pro career in Australia, but he felt a responsibility to his dad.

On the podcast Then They Rose, Shareef recalled Shaq asking, “‘Can you do me a favor? This year, can you help me rebrand Reebok? I’ll let you help redesign the shoes, redesign the clothes, help sign players.’ He’s like, ‘I really really need your help.’” The young boy didn’t hesitate; he accepted the challenge.

From there, Shareef became the bridge between Reebok and the younger generation of athletes. “Basically, my job for Reebok right now is bringing in the culture, connecting the culture to Reebok,” he explained. He spent countless hours analyzing trends, understanding what young players wanted, and helping Shaquille O’Neal see the market from a fresh perspective.

The Lakers legend even admitted, “I brought my son in to help me speak the language of these youngsters… He’s like, ‘I don’t want you to watch the game. I just want you to look at all the shoes.’” That insight helped him recognize that high tops had lost their appeal and set the tone for Reebok’s next chapter.

And now Shaq is trying to use that same perspective for his own brand, and clearly Shareef is into it.