Shaquille O’Neal earned $1 million before he was signed – and blew it all
When you become a millionaire before signing a contract with an NBA franchise, it says something. Shaquille O’Neal experienced it, as the basketball player was signed for a $1 million endorsement deal just before he made his court debut in 1992. Shaq wasn’t having an easy time, but Classic Car must have understood how big of an issue he was going to be. The amount of time Shaq took to spend it all varies in stories, but it was certainly no more than two days. $150,000 was used to settle his parent’s debt, and the remaining $400,000 was spent on three Mercedes-Benzes: one each for his mother, stepfather, and himself. Shaq reportedly blew $60,000 on jewelry and rings with the remaining funds, according to Business Insider.
Shaquille O’Neal Earned $1 Million Before He Was Signed – And Blew It All
His famous 32 jersey was kind of inspired by an NBA legend
Many Shaquille O’Neal supporters can now identify his number 32 jersey from any location. The athlete didn’t always want things to be that way, though. It turns out that Shaq truly intended to wear the number 33 jersey in memory of Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, who served as a major influence to Shaq during his adolescent years. That is, until he found out that the number jersey was not available at his high school. Until then, he contented himself to wear the number 32 jersey. Shaq did wear the number 33 jersey when playing at LSU, but he was forced to wear the number 32 jersey for the whole of his stint with the Orlando Magic because veteran player Terry Catledge refused to part with his 33 jersey.
His Famous 32 Jersey Was Kind Of Inspired By An NBA Legend
