Shaq rejected $40m deal after being confronted by fan's mom, made affordable shoes for all

In a world where sports legends often turn into brands, signing massive deals to promote luxury sneakers, it’s rare to see a celebrity prioritize fans over profit. But that’s exactly what Shaquille O’Neal did. In 1998, O’Neal had a memorable encounter with the mother of a young fan who was upset that the Reebok sneakers he endorsed were priced at $100—a figure out of reach for many families. Already known for his generous tipping, Shaq took his commitment to affordability even further by cutting ties with Reebok, sacrificing a $40 million deal on the spot.

Believing that fans shouldn’t have to break the bank to own his merchandise, Shaq went on to create his own line of affordable shoes with Walmart. “That day, I cut ties with Reebok,” he explained on the Full Send Podcast. After hearing the mom’s frustration, he not only rejected the lucrative Reebok deal but also offered her $2,000, which she declined. Instead, she asked him a pointed question: “Why do you make shoes that kids can’t even afford?” That moment reshaped his perspective. “I said keep the money… this ain’t right,” Shaq recalled. Determined to make a difference, he launched the Shaq brand, partnered with Walmart, and rolled out an affordable line that’s remained popular ever since.

In another interview that he gave in 2021, Shaq revealed that since the launch of his affordable shoe brand, his team had sold more than 400 million pairs of shoes, and the number continues to rise, as per Yahoo Finance. “I was in all stores and my price point for the shoes was $29-$19, and since then we sold over 400 million pairs,” he said according to the outlet. “It’s not that kids don’t want to wear $20 shoes. They don’t want to wear shoes that look like they cost $20.” According to The Sports Rush, the shoes sold by Shaq’s brand are available at Walmart and are priced between just $15 and $30. But despite being significantly cheaper, these shoes are not inferior when it comes to quality.

The story of Shaq’s generosity is now creating a buzz on the internet. On Reddit, where it was shared by u/suzukigun4life in the r/todayilearned group, the story was upvoted by more than 114,000 people. “Shaq has got to be one of the biggest philanthropic athletes out there, props to him,” wrote u/zryder2 in a comment. u/rickjwagner said, “The more I hear about Shaq, the more I think he's a model human being.”