If Shaquille O’Neal were a business course, he’d be a 400-level masterclass—half marketing genius, half lovable chaos, all certified money-maker. And when he’s not throwing down dunks in commercials for car insurance and pizza, he’s quietly molding the next generation of athlete-moguls. Or not so quietly, if you ask LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. How?

Because if NIL deals were rap albums, Flau’jae Johnson’s would be platinum, twice. You’ve probably seen her light up the court with LSU women’s basketball. You might’ve caught her Billboard-charting music. But behind the highlight reels and headphones, there’s a business mind sharper than a crossover. Her NIL valuation reportedly hovers around $1.5 million, and it’s not built on hype. It’s modeled on something… bigger. How big, you wonder?

Try 7-foot-1, 325 pounds, with a size 22 shoe and ownership stakes in everything from Papa John’s to Reebok. That kind of blueprint doesn’t come with a LinkedIn course. It comes with legend-to-legend mentorship, and Flau’jae’s getting the playbook straight from the source. The walking skyscraper of charisma who conquered the NBA and then somehow got even richer off pizza, insurance, and Icy Hot cream. You see, for Flau’jae, Shaq isn’t just a fellow LSU legend at this point.

He’s rather a marketing oracle. “They talk about it all the time,” Flau’jae told NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay. “Tommy Kum at LSU… he like helped Shaq with media like when he first started out, and I be talking to him sometime. Shaq’s portfolio is the most impressive, crazy business portfolio that I’ve seen.” From the outside, Shaq’s endorsements might look random.

The General? Papa John’s? But there’s method to the Big Aristotle’s madness. “What Shaq has done a great job of is, a lot of the stuff that Shaq represents, Shaq eat,” Sharpe said. “It’s a natural integration and it’s not fake.” So naturally, Flau’jae’s taking notes, and not just with a pen.

She’s mirroring that same authenticity. “I’m not going to do a deal if I don’t see myself being long-term. It’s something I don’t enjoy.” And well, there’s something poetic about it all. The girl who raps about truth is living it. The baller who spits bars is staying on beat in business, too. And standing in the background, well, more like looming, is Shaq, offering the most unconventional kind of mentorship imaginable. And to say that Shaq taught Flau’jae how to make money would be an understatement.

The Shaq print

Because he also taught her how to mean it. When Coach Bob Starkey—the same man who once coached O’Neal—tells Flau’jae to “watch Shaq,” he’s not talking about film breakdowns. He’s talking brand-building. He’s talking ownership. And he’s talking: make sure the checks still hit in 2040. Because why not, right? It seems at this point as if Flau asks herself before making any money decision – “What would Shaquille O’Neal Do?” aka WWSOND. Because Shaq’s empire?

It’s not some retired-athlete side hustle. We’re talking over 50 brands, countless franchises, and enough commercials to keep ad execs in business for decades. And what makes this all so relevant is that Flau’jae isn’t following blindly, but rather she’s adapting. NIL deals aren’t just about Instagram posts or branded TikToks.

They’re about sustainability. About being able to turn a moment into a movement. And Flau’jae’s already ahead of the curve. In an era where athletes go viral and disappear in a week, she’s building something slower, smarter, and sturdier. That’s not luck. That’s Shaq. It’s also a legacy.

Not the dusty kind you read about, but the kind that multiplies. Shaq paved the road. Now Flau’jae’s driving her own custom-wrapped NIL Rolls-Royce down it, speakers blasting. And somehow, it all makes perfect sense.