Handling a humungous business is no small task, especially for an athlete. Typically not known for succeeding off the court, NBA players have a tough road ahead. However, that norm has seen a gradual shift toward the opposite side of the spectrum. Thanks to names like Shaquille O’Neal, the perception is changing. But, the big man didn’t build a huge empire just on his lonesome. Instead, he sought to follow the model of those who’d already established a place in the landscape.

According to his daughter, Taahirah, the Los Angeles Lakers legend went so far as to study the structure put in place by Paris Hilton. Speaking on the Do I Know You podcast, the 27-year-old would reveal Shaq’s master plan.

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“The Shaq brand, the Shaquille O’Neal brand, like he does, like I do. There’s no one who cares like he does, like I do, like my brothers and sisters do. We have a different level of, like, investment and so I’d argue with anyone. Who better? He’s had to study families like the Hiltons…He calls it the Paris defense.”

But not just himself, the Miami Heat legend wants his children to adopt that same mentality as well. “He’s had me study Paris Hilton from top to the bottom…He told me this is what I want.” 

But just how successful Shaq has been following that model to build something successful for himself?

Has following the Paris Hilton model been successful for Shaquille O’Neal?

In one word, the answer is unequivocally, yes. During his playing career, the big man would earn a fraction of his net worth today. Thanks to an eye for the business, he has been able to expand in virtually every sector imaginable. Today, commentary, entertainment, food, or music, nothing stands in the way of O’Neal.

Further, he has taken a big brother approach to the industries he’s conquered, as evidenced by his welcoming of Charles Oakley with open arms into the car wash sector. Now, there aren’t many avenues where the name Shaquille O’Neal isn’t a valuable commodity. As Taahirah put it, the name itself has become a brand.

But, where does this trajectory take him? With eyes for an ownership stake in the NBA, can O’Neal take his career to even greater heights?

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