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Shaq was asked for a credit check while buying his mom a house — He responded with an ultimate flex
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- Shaq was asked for a credit check while buying his mom a house — He responded with an ultimate flex
Shaquille O'Neal amassed a staggering 290 million+ dollars in career salary alone during his 19-year NBA career. The four-time champion even made more money after his playing years by smart investing and diversifying his business portfolio.
Yet, some people, for some reason, were apparently not convinced that O'Neal got that kind of money. Back in 2019, O'Neal wanted to buy a house for his mother. He expected everything to go as usual, having bought several properties in the past.
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However, a real estate agent had the audacity to commit the ultimate foul by asking to run a credit check on one of the most recognizable and liquid athletes on the planet. For Shaq, a proud mama's boy who views his mother's happiness as his highest priority, that request wasn't just a formality.
It was an insult.
"I was, like, 'I beg your pardon?'" Shaq recalled on the "Earn Your Leisure" podcast in 2021. "My mom was, like, 'Baby, don't do that' and I was, like, 'Hold on, mama, she disrespected me.'"
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With the same confidence he used to shatter backboards, Shaq shut down the credit talk and asserted his financial dominance with a legendary flex. He bypassed the traditional red tape entirely and demanded a lightning-fast 10-day closing period to prove he could purchase the house in an instant.
Shaq doesn't like being insulted
Whoever that real estate agent was, she surely learned her lesson. As it turned out, she wasn't the only one who disrespected O'Neal in that manner. Back in the '90s, a car salesman did almost the same thing to Shaq.
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O'Neal admitted that he went into a luxury car dealership that day looking "a little raggedy." However, he never thought that a car salesman would doubt the purchasing power of a 7'1" NBA superstar.
Even more interesting, boxing legend Mike Tyson happened to be there as well. Tyson bought two Bentleys right then and there. Knowing Shaq, he wasn't gonna leave that dealership humiliated and disrespected. He beat Tyson and bought three Bentleys on the spot.
"I'm looking at this beautiful Bentley and this old, stuck-up white guy, a classic car salesman, is giving me the evil eye, so I say to him, 'How much is this car?' He looks me up and down and says, 'Are you sure you can afford it, sonny boy?' I was so ticked off. I was really, really offended," O'Neal once shared.
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Shaq is smarter now
Before he became a great businessman, O'Neal was notoriously known for splurging his money with the same explosive force he used to dominate the paint. Admittedly, Shaq was a mindless spender, especially during his heyday in the NBA.
However, O'Neal eventually realized that a legendary career on the hardwood wouldn't guarantee a legacy off of it without a major shift in how he handles his finances. He learned how to save and began educating himself on business and entrepreneurship.
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"It's not about how much you make, it's about how much you keep," Shaq said , recounting the best financial advice he'd ever received to CNBC. "Save 75 percent of your earnings and put it away. Use the other 25 percent as you please."
Today, Shaq stands as a blueprint for financial evolution. He is now one of the richest former athletes in the world. And after these kinds of stories, he'll probably not run into a credit check anytime soon.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
