The list of NBA superstars succeeding as businessman continues to grow. What began as an anomaly with Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan has now become the norm. But, no one has been as diverse in their ventures quite like Shaquille O’Neal. Between his role as an analyst and fledging DJ career, his interests are extremely varied. One of them continues to net him incredible profits is in the fast food industry. However, that endeavor is also a touch different from the usual route.

While most athletes take on a role as investor or endorser, Shaq is far more hands-on. Rather than take a backseat, he chose to build his empire with Big Chicken. With his volatile personality, however, comes a plethora of challenges.

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Among them is his obsession with rival fast-food chains. For fans of the Los Angeles Lakers legend, it isn’t uncommon to witness a trip to a place like In n Out. But, is that a smart business strategy? In a conversation with Josh Halpern, we here at ES were ready to ask the all-pressing questions.

Halpern, however, was unmoved. In a testament to his attention to nuance and perspective, Josh found the practice perfectly in line. “I mean it shouldn’t. I eat an In-n-Out burger from time to time. We don’t have 1500 Big Chickens all over America yet.”

“But, even if we did…You can’t eat at the same restaurant every single meal, right? The notion that someone should eat at a Big Chicken every single meal that they eat out, I mean, that’s not fair either…So, I have no issues with him being out in other restaurants. Because so am I, so is everyone,” he added.

Be that as it may, there are factors about Shaq and his family regarding the brand that matter to him.

The things about Shaquille O’Neal and his family that matter to Josh Halpern

There are things of importance to the CEO pertaining to the belief that the Miami Heat legend has in his brand. Moreover, he has also taken steps to ensure that his children have similar faith in Big Chicken in such a competitive market.

“The question is – Is Big Chicken inside his heart? Is Big Chicken inside my heart? Is Big Chicken inside his kids’ hearts? I’ve met most of his kids at this point and I’ve had conversations with them on Big Chicken. To a person, they all love Big Chicken.” 

For a man who’s learned much from the 4x NBA Champion, Halpern, like Shaq, has his priorities straight where his brand is concerned.

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