An NBA legend once called out Shaquille O’Neal, and Shaq made sure the world knew he didn’t like it. Harsh words flew. Social media lit up. And just like that, a line seemed to be drawn. But years later, at a summer basketball event in L.A., Shaq showed up not just on the court, but surrounded by the very people you’d least expect

In early 2020, Jennings founded TUFF CROWD, a streetwear line he built by leveraging his NBA network. Backing from peers and early endorsements in 2021 helped the label catch fire. As it turned out, the new venture gave him fresh purpose after basketball. And soon enough, with the support from his connections, he managed to turn it into a successful business. Last August, Under Armour rolled out its Elite 24 Collection in partnership with TUFF CROWD—a marquee collaboration that cemented Jennings’s streetwear credibility.

On VladTV this spring, Jennings credited Chris Brown’s early support: “Hanging out with Chris Brown — Chris Brown was wearing my brand heavy.” This wasn’t new, he had mentioned this before on the All The Smoke podcast, too. Moreover, even Shaquille O’Neal’s kids and his ex-wife had his back. Jennings’s story shows how a good network can turn a dream into reality.

Brandon Jennings’s brand TUFF CROWD also got a big boost from Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife, Shaunie Henderson, and their kids. Shaunie played a key role by sponsoring TUFF CROWD’s team in the Drew League, a popular summer basketball event in Los Angeles. Her support gave the team the resources they needed to compete and gain exposure. Even Shaquille’s kids, like Shareef O’Neal, joined the games. Shareef, who returned to basketball after heart surgery, helped bring more attention to the team and the brand. This family’s involvement really helped TUFF CROWD grow strong. This is surprising considering Jennings’ rocky relationship with Shaq.

What went wrong between Shaquille O’Neal and Jennings

Brandon Jennings and Shaquille O’Neal have never been the closest. The tension began back in 2017 when Jennings criticized Paul Pierce’s farewell tour, saying he didn’t deserve it because he only won one championship. Shaq, who had given Pierce the nickname “The Truth,” didn’t hold back. He called Jennings out on social media, saying a player “who can’t play” shouldn’t talk about someone who does.

Shaq said, “When can a player that doesn’t have game talk about a player that does have game? A guy that can’t play talking about a guy that can play.” ‘The Big Aristotle’ was angry, and he wasn’t going to let the comments go easily. His sharp words seemed to cement a rivalry between the two. However, surprisingly, it seems that despite this, Jennings had a good relationship with the rest of the family!

What’s more? Despite the Shaq snub, Jennings still joined Shareef O’Neal and Myles O’Neal for Drew League games last summer. He even marked his 32nd birthday alongside the O’Neal brothers, complete with a playful IG shout-out from Shaunie, “Me explaining to him once again that he will NEVER out-dance me!” 

So what does that say about where things stand? Sure, Shaq and Jennings may not be on great terms, but the rest of the O’Neal family seems to get along just fine with him. Could that be a sign that things might eventually smooth over? Well, after Shaq and Dwight Howard managed to finally end their beef after years, this too might just come true!