?Small Beautiful Jewish Man?: Shaquille O?Neal?s $40 Million Decision Resurfaced Amid Kanye West Beef

When Kanye West took a jab at Shaquille O?Neal on Twitter, Shaq advised Kanye to take care of his family business first. He also mentioned an old Kanye quote that says, ?I got more money than you, so why would I listen to you?. This stirred up beef between the two.?In the thick of this, an interview and pivotal decision of Shaq has been making rounds among the Twitter community.?There came a time when Shaq had to get his finances organized. Also, he rejected a 40-million-dollar sneaker deal from Reebok for an interesting reason.?

These two stories have resurfaced and become the talk of the town. Some fans have described Shaq to be a man of the people as they show support for him amid his beef with Kanye West.

Weeks before being drafted by the Orlando Magic, Shaq signed an endorsement deal. Following this, Shaq admitted in an interview that he spent around one million dollars in one day. He did this because he knew money was coming his way in abundance.

Read More: 2 Months After Supporting Kanye West Who ?Still Loves? Kim Kardashian, Shaquille O?Neal Rubs Salt on ?Family? Wounds

A few days later, while reading his statement it occurred to Shaq that he still didn?t have the money in his pocket to pay the credit card bill. The bank manager, who had seen Shaq since his high school days, did him a favor. He kept the payment on hold. He told Shaq, ?You are bright and a smart young man but I don?t want you to be like all other athletes.??

How Shaquille O’Neal got his business in order

Shaquille O’Neal realized he needed a financial adviser. After meeting up with a bunch of people who promised him great things, Shaq met ?one little small Jewish man.? The man?s name was Lester.?

He was into saving bonds and devised a saving plan that Shaq was very impressed with. Lester changed Shaq?s life and became a father figure. Shaq said, ?He?s been good to me, you know it was the right choice to make.??

In the Full Send podcast, Shaq spoke about how he started his brand. He states that a fan once confronted him about the price of his signature Reebok kicks. This was a moment of clarity for Shaq. He realized that a majority of his fan base couldn?t afford his signature sneakers. So he cut ties and walked away from the Reebok deal.?

WATCH THIS STORY: ?Here?s how Ben Simmons, LeBron James, Shaquille O?Neal, and other NBA stars spent their first paychecks?

He said, ?I said keep the money. This ain?t right. I?ll still wear the shoes I do during the season, but I?ll be looking to do my own thing,??

Following this, Shaq started a brand of his own. While recruiting designers from the Reebok team, he started making his own shoes. He approached Walmart with a deal and went on to sell 400 million pairs of sneakers. The selling price was around 19-29 dollars.?

What do you think about these Shaq stories? Let us know in the comment below.?