Transitioning to coaching and studio analysis is not difficult for most NBA players. But scouting is rarely a professional choice for retired players. Unless you’re Shaquille O’Neal, who does everything. Unlike his idol Michael Jordan, who continues as a brand ambassador with Nike, or his favorite player, Stephen Curry, promoting his brand on a worldwide tour, Shaq’s not just an endorser or publicity handler at Reebok. Power Moves proved he takes his executive duties as President of Reebok Basketball very seriously. Including finding the right face to represent the brand.

O’Neal’s a different kind of scout. Instead of going for natural stars, he loves a bit of relatability in his signature athletes. Angel Reese is the next big thing out of LSU after Big Diesel himself. He wanted the global appeal Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has, but couldn’t steal him from Converse. He wanted Ace Bailey, who was the big ticket in NIL at the time. But that didn’t work out either.

This time, Shaq’s eyeing some undiscovered gems before they hit it big. You might have seen him already teasing it on his Instagram Stories. Speaking to SI about how he isn’t “interested in chasing big fish,” O’Neal revealed which future basketball star is on his radar right now.

For starters, O’Neal revealed how he scouts talent for Reebok. “The good thing about Reebok, my team is five or six guys with different mentalities. So we all come in, we argue, we fight. ‘This guy has potential!’ or ‘Oh, I’ve seen this guy play and he’s not that great!'”

That’s the kind of discussions they’re having at Reebok’s Boston HQ around one Virginia teen. “Like, I love this kid, Marcis Ponder. I don’t know if you’ve seen Ponder, but he’s a seven-footer out of Miami. He plays in high school like I played when I was a young pro. Real mean, real big.”

Marcis Ponder is indeed that big man. 7 feet and 320 lbs, Marcis Ponder is a four-star center in the 2026 class. Rims quiver in fear for the first time since 1993 when the Miami native steps on the court because he’s touted as ‘Baby Shaq’ for breaking backboards already. The Gillion Academy standout got offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Miami, Providence, and Texas before announcing his commitment to Florida State this July.

Ponder gained a reputation not only because he’s ranked #69 nationwide but because O’Neal’s been sharing ‘Baby Shaq’s’ dunks on his Instagram Stories for months. And we know it wasn’t just as a fan but as a scout, too. “So, I would definitely love to sign him up.” O’Neal further said, “But we just look, we just scout. And if then we’re interested, we come and have a conversation with you and your family. If we have the same values, we’ll look to make a good deal.” So, is Ponder going to get a visit from the OG soon? Who knows. Shaq’s not dropped any hints.

He likely won’t disclose many details. Because Shaq’s scouting success rate is shaky.

Shaquille O’Neal’s scouting fails

As much as the Shaq Attaq namesake has an eye for untapped talent, translating the scouting report into a signature is another ballgame. Shaquille O’Neal’s biggest disappointment yet was when SGA renewed his deal with Converse. But there was one situation Shaq learned from and is determined not to repeat the mistake with Marcis Ponder.

That incident was enough for O’Neal to say now, “But a lot of these kids be on some different stuff. We met with a kid one time, he wanted $50 million. I was like, ‘Well, good luck, and I hope you get it, but I’m not writing that check.'”

He didn’t drop names, but if you’ve binged over 181 minutes of Netflix’s Power Moves, you’d know he’s referring to Ace Bailey. He pursued the Rutgers alum when he was still a Top-5 pick of the 2025 NBA draft. His pre-draft NIL value was $1.6 million then. But the deal never materialized.

On Power Moves, Shaq shared with his Reebok team, including his son, Shareef, “The kid I’m looking at wants some big money. And this kid ain’t touch the college floor. How will you handle that?” The kid was Bailey, who at the time of this recording was yet to play college ball. Bailey didn’t make his college debut until November 2024, and he’d go to the draft after only his first season.

Shareef’s coach advised Shaq to prioritise creating value over making money. So O’Neal passed on Bailey. He’d later say, “Had the opportunity to sign Ace Bailey. But he’s a very expensive ticket. I don’t even want to have that conversation.” 

Bailey went fifth in the draft after much criticism and signed a contract with Nike. O’Neal didn’t sign anyone from this draft class, but he’s looking at pre-NIL value now in Marcis Ponder while focusing on ‘creating value’ with Angel Reese and Matas Buzelis.