Exclusive: Shaq on Inside the NBA, NIL deals, the player to watch this season, and more

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Exclusive: Shaq on Inside the NBA, NIL deals, the player to watch this season, and more

Autumn Hawkins, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Thu, Jan 29, 2026 ·

7 min read

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Exclusive: Shaq on Inside the NBA, NIL deals, the player to watch this season, and more appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Shaquille O'Neal is a cultural figure whose initiatives, philanthropy, and innovation transcend beyond his feats on the court. Across his 19 seasons in the NBA, O'Neal displayed his talent with six teams: the Orlando Magic , Los Angeles Lakers , Miami Heat , Phoenix Suns , Cleveland Cavaliers , and ended his career with the Boston Celtics in 2011.

During a conversation about his new Shaq-A-Licious SLAM gummies, he exclusively told ClutchPoints some highlights about the partnership with Hershey, Inside the NBA moving to ESPN, how NIL deals are affecting athletes, his thoughts on this NBA season, and more.

Thoughts on Inside the NBA moving to ESPN

Shaq made his debut on Inside the NBA during the 2011-2012 NBA season after retiring from the league after 19 seasons. He co-anchors the program with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith. The show has been on TNT for nearly four decades, and for the 2025-26 NBA season, it moved to ESPN for the first time. Shaq shared that the move does not have much of a difference from before and that "it's pretty much the same." The difference he shared was that "we're not working as much early on," but guarantees fans will hear from them soon.

"But you know, come time to the playoffs, you'll definitely be hearing from the big dogs. Right now, it's about five or six other entities out there, and a lot of people have stuff to stay," he said. "But when the playoffs come, and you watch the playoff game, then you will definitely hear from the experts."

Shaq's touching core memory in the NBA

© Ebony Cox / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Shaq knew that pursuing his dreams of playing basketball professionally would not only fulfill his own goals but also create opportunities for his family. It was bigger than being a part of six NBA teams during his career, four NBA champions, making legendary plays alongside Kobe Bryant , leveraging his superstardom to build several businesses, but how he can provide for his family. When asked what one of his favorite NBA memories was, it wasn't something that could be found on the court, but rather how he was able to give his mom what she deserved.

"My favorite memory was being able to get my mother out of Newark and buy her the house that she wants, the purse that she wants, the car that she wants," Shaq told ClutchPoints. "That's what it was all about for me. I have a lot of great memories, but you know where we come from. And I'm not saying it's a bad place, but, you know, being able to live like them, those who float in our face.

"I've always wanted my hard work and beautiful mother to be able to have those luxuries. So that's my favorite moment. And the fact that having played for 15 years can still do it makes me feel good," he continued.

Shaq on NIL deals for college athletes

NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals weren't around when Shaq was in college at Louisiana State University (LSU), but they've taken over the college landscape in terms of providing athletes with their own platforms and delving into multiple ways of gaining financial freedom before making it to the professional league. Shaq gave his perspective on NIL deals and how he would have managed his if he had been given the opportunity.

"I kind of never really paid attention to the NIL deal, but if it were me, I would have done it differently," Shaq said, noting that he "knows a guy now making $10 million" off of NIL deals.

The NBA legend then laid out a comprehensive plan on how he would allocate the money, as well as investments and savings, he would pursue if given the same opportunity.

"I would have given my parents a million each. So that's $8 million left. I would've taken a million for myself and done some flossing, and then I would have put the rest away and acted like I don't have anything, which keeps me hungry," he explained.

His next point regarding NIL deals is something that many athletes and fans today have discussed in terms of what keeps prospects interested in the next step.

"My only fear with the NIL is that you lose hunger. Because, yeah, we play the game because we love it. But we also know about that little thing. Ding ding ding ding. That's at the top. So if you get that too early, you'll cut off that edge," Shaq explained. "I don't want 10 million, I want 700 million."

As Shaq added back to his previous point, he would give his parents something as well as himself, like a Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover, or "a little chain." He stressed that he would just put the rest of his money away and "teach myself financial literacy."

Ultimately, Shaq shared that he "wishes these kids luck" in terms of navigating NIL deals. However, he added that they "need to focus on themselves and focus on winning because the more you win, the more deals you get."

Shaq reveals who has caught his attention this NBA season

The NBA season is already underway, and as fans are getting their first taste of who will be making the most noise on the court. For Shaq, he didn't hesitate to say who has caught his attention so far, citing San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama .

"So the Spurs have beaten the champs twice. So I'm going to be looking for that match," Shaq said before adding which star on the Spurs has made the most motion. "Hopefully, they get to play each other in the playoffs. I'm super impressed with Wemby [ Victor Wembanyama ]. You know, a lot of big guys have done what he's done sporadically. I've brought up the court a couple of times, and you know, but he's shooting threes and going behind his back and between his legs. And they beat OKC twice. So I'm definitely keeping an eye on him."

He then shared that there are some teams on the East he wants to see have a good season this year. "In the East, I want to see Cleveland or the Knicks make it out of the East. So we'll see."

Shaq on navigating multiple businesses and interests

Jefferson Graham via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Nine times out of 10, when you turn on your TV, you'll see Shaq in a commercial. Whether it's Carvana (aka "Shaqvana"), The General Insurance, Papa John's, DraftKings, Home Depot, and more, there is a method behind Shaq's busy schedule. He shared that because he can delegate his tasks to others, he can accomplish so much.

"Everything I do is sports-related. You've got to have teammates," Shaq explained, adding that you have to break it down so that it's comprehensible.

"So you got a guy who has 50 things to do. I'm not memorizing all those 50 things," he said, adding a bit of his day-t0-day including interviews and commercial shoots.

After explaining his hectic schedule, he shared that he had to learn that when he was younger, he tried to do everything by himself, and he "kind of lost focus on the main thing."

His advice shared that you just have to "keep focus on the main thing, which is you, and then you just have other people do it. I got a secretary, I got a guy that's with me and makes sure that I do everything, and I got a person there with me to make sure I don't say anything stupid. That's what I call a barrel. I have a whole team."

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