Shaquille O’Neal has always listened to his heart. The NBA legend’s $40 million sacrifice in 1998 was a eureka moment for him. He left Reebok and began his own shoe brand. He aimed to create premium-looking sneakers at a highly affordable rate, and it’s safe to say that he achieved his target. Big Diesel sold over 400 million pairs of his $19–$29 line and ultimately rejoined Reebok as its President of Basketball in 2023. He has always wanted to make a revolutionary impact. During a recent event, however, the retired hoopster was asked an existential question, one that Shaunie Henderson seemed to support him on.

The Lakers legend and his son were in New York for the launch of the new Shaq-a-Licious gummies line and to distribute free sneakers from SHAQ Brand to kids. Complex then asked Big Diesel, “When people think about your legacy, they usually think about basketball. How important is it that sneakers also get involved in that too?”

“I just want [them] to say Shaq was a nice guy. Doesn’t matter how much he made, what he’s done, what sport he played. ‘Was he a nice guy?’ I’ve done a lot, you know. SHAQ brand to me was all about affordability. You know, I got tired of us charging these kids $100, $200 for a pair of shoes. My price point is very affordable. Something that their mothers and fathers would understand,” the big guy said.

This is precisely the origin of the SHAQ Brand. O’Neal was once accosted by an angry mother about overpriced sneakers. That gave Shaq food for thought. So he launched an affordable and size-inclusive shoe line with Walmart. He has since brought in his son, Shareef, to connect with the young sneakerheads. Shaunie Henderson supports her ex and their son wholeheartedly. She dropped a like on the Instagram Reel, which says a lot more than just a comment.

Shaunie has a subtle way of supporting her ex-husband’s gazillion jobs. Usually, she’s dropping likes or comments every time her eldest, Myles, performs with DJ Diesel. However, she had yet to say or do anything about Shareef getting involved in the sneaker business.

By the time Shaq returned to Reebok as an exec in 2023, he had sold 100 million pairs in the US alone. He’s about to make it global soon, and it makes it the perfect time to turn it into a family business with the approval of his co-parent.

Shaquille O’Neal has his son, Shareef, leading his sneaker legacy!

On the verge of his prime with the Lakers and no longer Reebok’s signature athlete, Shaq, who was already a father to Taahirah by then, met Shaunie Nelson in LA. Their first child together, Shareef, was born in 2000. Shaquille O’Neal and the Basketball Wives mogul divorced in 2011, and Shaunie married pastor Keion Henderson, but they remained amicable co-parents to their six kids.

They were especially united through Shareef’s open-heart surgery. It’s one of the reasons Shaq discouraged Shareef’s basketball career. He prevented his son from playing pro-ball in Australia and brought him to Reebok for the launch of Engine A, the brand’s first performance shoe in a decade, and Angel Reese’s signature line.

As seen on Netflix’s Power Moves, Shareef tried out for the Sacramento Kings but was cut. So his dad brought him to the SHAQ brand for a particular reason.

“Kids don’t know these things cause, I was once a kid,” O’Neal said about how kids don’t care about affordable sneakers. “I wanna be cool. I wanna wear what’s hot. But you know, my son is taking over the brand. So he’s gonna, you know, give them what they like. You’re gonna give them the style. You’re gonna give them the materials that they want. But my price point will always remain the same – affordable.”

Shaq does need Shareef’s insight. The big guy still thought high tops were trendy! The Reebok Engine A would’ve looked very different if the Big Diesel successfully bulldozed the design team. Shareef instead took his dad on a tour of kids’ basketball games to prove lows are in. On Power Moves, he even stunned Big Diesel by not taking his side in team meetings!

Shareef has visited New York twice now to distribute free sneakers to kids while creating fun reels. And while he’s been on this ship, the SHAQ brand inked a $480 million deal to sell its sneakers in Turkiye.

While his brother, Myles, deejays with DJ Diesel and his sister, Taahirah, is involved in Big Chicken, Shareef displayed a natural eye for the sneaker market. He has turned out to be the lucky charm for his dad’s sneaker legacy!