Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson are two of the most influential Black athletes of all time. The two men have created opportunities within the Black community for decades by bringing new businesses, making charitable donations, shedding light on small Black entrepreneurs, and constantly helping people that are in need.
“I try to make every day a meaningful moment for a fan,” the NBA legend told People last summer as he surprised fans with gifts.
(Left) Shaquille O’Neal on the sidelines at Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals. (Right) Magic Johnson speaking at the 2023 Black Texas Expo. (Photos: Getty Images)
Uplifting Message
O’Neal recently sent an uplifting message to Ariana Josephine Cossie, also known as the ‘Home Depot Girl,’ to encourage her to stay true to herself. Cossie is a college student who worked at Home Depot. She recently went viral on social media for posting a picture in her work uniform with a caption that read, “The one job I work at that I get reminded I’m too pretty to work at.”
Many on social media suggested that she should make an OnlyFans account to earn extra money, but Cossie shot that idea down because of her religious beliefs. OnlyFans models took offense to her statement and bashed the young college student, and now her personal information has been shared online.
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O’Neal was accused of ‘sliding into her DMs,’ but he cleared those rumors by saying he was simply “uplifting the community” as he has always done. He backed his statement up with actions in an attempt to surprise Cossie at her job on June 14. However, she wasn’t at work. Cossie said in a TikTok video on June 13 that she had to quit her job after being doxxed online.
Still, O’Neal blessed the other shoppers at Home Depot by taking pictures with them, making a viral rap song, promoting the store on his social media and purchasing a washer and dryer set for a random woman.
He told People magazine last August that giving back to fans is one of his favorite things to do.
“My favorite thing to do is when I’m in Best Buy, Walmart, if I see a kid, get them something that I see he’s looking at,” O’Neal said to People magazine.
“Oh, like yesterday I saw a couple kids. I bought a couple bikes, a couple more scooters,” he explained.
Shaq’s Ownership
His random act of kindness is nothing new for the NBA legend. He has used the fortune he made from basketball to expand into the business world. O’Neal has endorsement deals with The General Insurance, Icy Hot, Reebok, Gold Bond, Pepsi, and more. He also owns several Krispy Kreme locations, CityPlex12 Movie Theater, Papa John’s franchises, 155 Five Guys Burgers franchises, 40 24-Hour Fitness franchises, 17 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels franchises, 150 car washes, and several nightclubs in Las Vegas. Additionally, he has investments in Apple, Google, Lyft, Vitaminwater, and Ring.
Apart from his ownership of different businesses, O’Neal is also known for his philanthropy. He sent five pairs of shoes to a 14-year-old high schooler who had a hard time finding shoes in his size. He has also stated that he created his self-titled shoe brand to provide single mothers and struggling families with a chance to own decent, affordable shoes.
O’Neal consistently gives back to the community. He hosts ‘Shaq-A-Clause’ events annually at Christmas in Atlanta and Las Vegas. He has partnered with Icy Hot to remodel local recreation centers in Miami.
The gentle giant has also developed a mini-series with TNT called “The Game Plan” to showcase small Black business owners and their businesses. Additionally, there are numerous stories from everyday people claiming that O’Neal paid for their groceries, picked up tabs at restaurants, or provided support for families facing crises.
Dethroning Magic
O’Neal credits his giving spirit to his mother, father, and Johnson. He spoke at an event called “Black Entrepreneur’s Day” in 2020 and told the attendees his secret to starting his entrepreneurial lifestyle.
“I know what you’re getting ready to ask me, so I’m going to go ahead and answer it for you. Where did I get my business acumen from? I got it from two people. Magic Johnson, when I first got to L.A., said, ‘Shaq, it’s OK to be famous and all that, but at some point, you want to start owning things,’” said O’Neal.
He also gave credit to Daymond John, former CEO of the FUBU clothing brand and a Shark Tank investor.
There’s no better athlete to take business advice from than Johnson. He has leveraged his likeness into millions of dollars. Johnson is part of the ownership group that owns MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, and the MLS club Los Angeles FC. He was also one of the first Black owners of a Starbucks franchise, bringing the popular coffee chain to Black communities in 1998. We can’t forget about the popular Magic Johnson Theaters and the restaurant chain TGI Fridays that he also brought to urban communities across the country.
Both men redefined the image of the Black athlete and created opportunities for people who look like them in underserved communities. They have also paved the way for athletes like LeBron James to take it to the next level.
O’Neal might have officially edged out Johnson as the man of the people, especially among Black people.
