NBA Hall of Famer and basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal gives back

The former Los Angeles Lakers star, four-time NBA champion, TNT analyst, erstwhile rapper and movie star, and mega entrepreneur used NFTs (non-fungible tokens) for charity. O’Neal last month teamed with the NFT marketplace Notables on Shaq Gives Back.

O’Neal verified on Dec. 21 that he would start the collection and give all the proceeds to the Shaq Foundation. The organization partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Communities in Schools to back programs and projects targeting underserved youth nationwide.

An NFT is basically a digital asset, bought and sold often with cryptocurrency. The NFT business is already skyrocketing and is expected to experience a “massive increase” in volume over the next 12 months as more major investors arrive.

A charismatic showman both on and off the court, each Shaq Gives Back NFT is a reminder that Shaq can make anything more fun. The variations of each NFT could be as simple as Shaq sporting his team colors from his playing days, as cheeky as Shaq wearing a DJ Diesel shirt, or as surreal as Shaq smiling…with no teeth.

As the portraits become more eclectic, the rarity is increased; wearing a toga about his self-anointed nickname The Big Aristotle at the height of his playing career; a portrait of Shaq with championship trophies in his eyes; his cactus form, Shaqtus, is immortalized through an NFT.

The moments that have transformed Shaq from an entertainer to a cultural icon are all captured in this collection. Between all of these facial expressions, outfits, accessories, and backgrounds, the combinations are as wide-ranging, entertaining, and joyous as the man himself.

O’Neal’s philanthropic efforts followed other generosity he showed to help others during the holiday season. He just presented 500 children in Atlanta with Christmas presents and presents.

Even during his playing days, Shaq was known for having a big heart. In December O’Neal kicked off his Shaq-A-Claus charity work, which began its 24th year in 2021. The event took place at Wesley Lakes Elementary School in McDonough, GA, outside of Atlanta, where O’Neal gave approximately 500 students Christmas gifts to take home.

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