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NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal Makes Surprise Move on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 8:00 AM ET

It would probably be safe to say that Shaquille O’Neal is one of the busiest retired NBA players today.

The Hall of Fame center, who reportedly has a net worth of $500 million, has a vast business portfolio that includes multiple restaurant chains, among other ventures. On the side, the 53-year-old also tours as a professional DJ under the name DJ Diesel.

O’Neal’s main gig, so to speak, is his role as a co-host in the long-standing “Inside the NBA” show, which is now transitioning to ESPN for the 2025-26 season after nearly four decades on TNT.

Apart from being one of the most prominent NBA analysts in the game, O’Neal also has multiple endorsement deals, which include a collaboration with Hershey Company for the Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies.

In a move aimed to promote the candy, the four-time NBA champion surprised hundreds of New York City ballers on Monday. O’Neal made an appearance at Basketball City at Pier 36 to give away his brand new sneaker collab, the Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies in Sneaker Shapes.

.@shaq surprises hundreds of NYC hoopers on Monday with his Shaq-a-licious XL Gummies sneaker collab

(Photo Credit: Santiago Felipe for Getty Images@santiagraphy) pic.twitter.com/pFFYR5iIBu
— Paolo Songco (@PaoloSongcoNBA) September 30, 2025

According to the press release sent by RMG PR, the gummies are “modeled after his best-selling SHAQ sneaker, and the real sneakers have been re-imagined in the fun colorways of the actual gummies: green for lime, orange for mango, and red for strawberry.”

During the fun-filled event, O’Neal also took the court for a quick game of one-on-one against infamous NYC hooper George “The Messiah” Papoustis. The crowd went wild after the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar hit a baby hook after backing down his opponent on the court.

O’Neal also has some exciting news for the fans. New Yorkers should be on the lookout for the Shaq-a-Licious mobile sneaker truck, which will hit more city courts on Tuesday for “some sweet surprises.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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