Shaquille O’Neal is famous for his stance on his money and the way he distributes it. While he’s always said that he will, of course, always look after his children, he certainly won’t let them grow up rich and now he’s shared the reason why.
Now, there’s no doubting that Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant forces in basketball.
With a career that has spanned over nineteen long years, O’Neal is considered a legend in the sport.
After spending his childhood playing basketball, Shaquille went on to drop out of college to pursue a full-time career in the NBA.
In his rookie years, he was christened “Shaq” and went on to become one of the top 10 players when it came to scoring, rebounding, and shooting.
And he’s had an incredibly impressive career.
Standing proudly at 7ft 1″ tall, the star quickly became one of the most sought-after players in the game.
Shaq became the first-ever player in NBA history to be named “Player of the Week” in his 1st week in the professional league.
He also went on to sign the biggest contract in NBA history in the past 7 years with the Los Angeles Lakers for a whopping $120 million.
By the time the 2000s came around, he was named NBA’s “Most Valuable Player”…
And he had already been awarded a place on the All-NBA First Team in 1998; a place he secured until 2006.
But his feud with the legendary Kobe Bryant stole the spotlight for a long time…
As any NBA fan will know, the former L.A Lakers players had a controversial relationship after Kobe discussed Shaq’s work ethic during an interview at the PHP Agency Convention in Las Vegas, as per Fox Sports.
However, after years of feuding, the pair called a truce.
In 2019, before his tragic passing, Kobe posted this tweet that quashed all the rumors surrounding the so-called “beef” between the two. “There is no beef with @SHAQ I know most media want to see it but it ain’t gonna happen. Ain’t nothin’ but love there and we too old to beef anyway.”
Away from the basketball court and media rumors, Shaq has been well known for his hard work and dedicated ethic.
As per his website, “Shaquille O’Neal’s off-court accolades rival his athletic accomplishments, having found success in acting, music, television, and gaming. Currently, Shaq is an analyst on Inside The NBA.”
“Philanthropically, Shaquille’s relationship with the Boys & Girls Club of America dates back to his youth in New Jersey.”
“As a national spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, he has been participating in campaigns with the non-profit company for the past fifteen years.”
And he’s quite the family man too.
But in the words of the basketball giant himself, “I’m rich, my kids ain’t.”
This is all part of Shaq’s ethos. He doesn’t want his children to grow up spoilt, so while he will help them, he won’t just let them live as rich kids.
Shaq reportedly has around $400M in the bank.
So while he doesn’t mind paying for the occasional dinner, he isn’t going to be a long-term bank of dad.
Although his kids can’t understand why.
He explained on the Earn Your Leisure podcast: “My kids are older now. They kinda upset with me – not really upset – but they don’t understand. Because I tell them all the time. We ain’t rich. I’m rich. You’ve got to have Bachelor’s or Master’s [degrees] and then if you want me to invest in one of your companies, you’re going to have to present it… bring it to me, I’ll let you know. I’m not giving you nothing.”
“There’s one rule: education. I don’t care if you play basketball. I don’t care about none of that.”
In a recent interview with Channel 7’s Sunrise, the star said: “In order to get my cheese, you have to present me with 2 degrees.”
“I just keep them motivated, I’m teaching about generational wealth right now. I tell them all the time we don’t need another NBA player in the house,” he continued.
“If you want to play, I can help you get there; but I would rather see a doctor, dentist, hedge fund guy, a veterinarian, or a world traveler.”