Going from multi-million NBA pro to multi-hyphenate entrepreneur is a big feat. Shaquille O’Neal achieved that by following the advice of a trendsetter. He dished about how Magic Johnson laid the blueprint for him on a former rival’s podcast recently. He added a new disclosure to one of his biggest investments to date. And it wouldn’t have been possible if Shaq’s mentor didn’t give him invaluable advice.

Now O’Neal has a $400 million net worth as testimony that advice works. Meanwhile, his mentor is the newest inductee of the billionaire athletes club.

Shaquille O’Neal tried to be like Magic Johnson

What we wouldn’t give to have Magic Johnson be a personal mentor. Shaquille O’Neal is one of the few who gets to boast that privilege. Sure, he admitted to not being receptive at first. However, he went on Rex Chapman’s podcast, Owned, to reveal that he’s what he is now because of Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

When the Lakers moved from Magic to Shaq in the mid-90s, the 5x NBA champion took the Orlando import under his wing. O’Neal was known to be all guns blazing then and rejected the initial mentorship. He told Chapman that when he first came to L.A., his attitude was, “This ain’t Magic’s town. I’m the man now.” Shaq splurged his first paychecks carelessly against Magic’s advice to be smarter.

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Years later, Johnson’s advice has sunk in. O’Neal, the inventor of buzzwords, said he uses “positive jealousness” to fuel him. Watching how Magic built a business career after the NBA, Shaq decided he wanted that. Magic even let him on the secret to his success.

“One thing he always told me, ‘Shaq, you gotta smile and be nice to people.’ He said, ‘if you just smile and be nice to people, you’d get so many opportunities.'” That advice served Shaq well.

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He revealed he was following Magic’s advice once, smiling and playing with a bunch of kids at the Four Seasons Hotel. One of the kids’ parents got him intrigued by an investment opportunity. That led him to invest in the early incarnation of Google at a $100 million valuation. He would find out from the papers how much money he made from the $1.5 trillion giant.

Magic is, of course, a proponent of his own advice. With his megawatt smile and do-gooder pursuits, he has made a huge leap in his post-NBA career.

Shaq’s mentor raised the bar

Magic’s mantra to Shaq has always been, “Just be nice, buddy.” O’Neal confirms that he’s got so many ventures just from being nice. He undersells himself that he’s not part of the same club as titans like Mark Zuckerberg. But Chapman and many fans disagree.

If he’s staying on the Magic Johnson path, Shaq could join him in the exclusive billionaire athletes club soon. With investments in Starbucks, Burger King, 24 Hour Fitness, and Equitrust, as well as ownership stakes in sports teams like the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Dodgers, Magic Johnson’s net worth has jumped to $1.2 billion.

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O’Neal still models his business pursuits after Magic Johnson. So he’s on the right trajectory. What do you think about the bond between these Lakers legends?