Shaquille O’Neal is taking the ‘Shaq is everywhere’ trope even to the Olympics. While he was at the Milan Cortina games, some major news dropped back home. The big guy who led Team USA to gold in the 1996 Olympics is ensuring the path to the podium doesn’t become a painful one. That’s why the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Eli Lilly and Company have tapped into Shaq for their newest program.

Team USA and Eli Lilly have teamed up to launch the “Team USA Athlete Recovery Program.” Instead of an active athlete, they’ve brought on Shaquille O’Neal as the face of the program designed to support elite competitors through injuries and rehabilitation.

O’Neal famously powered through a nagging arthritic toe and sprained wrist during the ’96 Olympics in Atlanta. So this cause is rather close to him. “As an athlete, the cameras follow you to the podium, but they don’t follow you through recovery, setbacks, or the long road back,” the 4x NBA champion said in a statement. He stated that the program, “is about showing up for athletes when the spotlight fades.”

USOPC Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Finnoff echoed Shaq’s sentiment when he said that the partnership provides the “expertise, coordinated care, and support to help them navigate these journeys, whether returning to sport or finding their next chapter.”

The Hall of Famer, whose own career was a testament to physical resilience, emphasized that the initiative is about providing a safety net for those in the shadows.

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Shaquille O’Neal’s Milan trip was for an important cause

It’s not a new partnership. Lilly and Team USA first struck a one-year deal for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It extended to the 2024 Paris Olympics. It currently encompasses the ongoing Winter Olympics in Italy. Ahead of the 2028 games in Los Angeles, they’ve brought in the Lakers legend just as they’re expanding the program.

While most of the NBA world was occupied with the All-Star Games, he had flown to Milan for the Winter Olympics. It’s sad he didn’t get to meet the bobsled star named after him and Penny Hardaway. But he was there on Lilly duty.

The partnership was longtime coming. Not only has the $981 billion pharmaceutical titan extended the program, it previously recruited Shaq to raise awareness about obstructive sleep apnea. The Big Aristotle was diagnosed with it after he retired from the NBA in 2011 despite experiencing the symptoms for much longer.

Combined with his longstanding relationship with IcyHot, Shaq’s impact as a health advocate is significant. As Eli Lilly backs multiple athletes competing in Milan, sending their gigantic ambassador to support them made sense. Even if the Internet found it hilarious that Shaq lands anywhere.

Funnily enough Shaq’s Olympic experience is something he wanted to forget so bad. Not because of injury. He had to surrender the game-winning shot to David Robinson who was retiring from the NBA. He was so mad, he tossed his gold medal out of the car somewhere at a Los Angeles freeway. So, yeah, he doesn’t have his gold medal.

Despite his bitter (and hilariously petty) experience, Shaq’s helping Olympians live a better life beyond the games. With some ‘big’ backing, Team USA’s athletes now have the most well-funded support system in Olympic history to ensure their journeys don’t end with a diagnosis.