“I didn’t like him at first,” these were Shaquille O’Neal’s words for Mark Cuban. It’s one plot twist after another for Mark Cuban and Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers legend once revealed that he didn’t like the former Mavs owner-billionaire at one point. And he had a reason. That’s past, but even more surprising is the fact that Cuban once tried to bring O’Neal to the Dallas Mavericks! While this deal never happened in the NBA, the two are now together in a multi-million-dollar business deal with the same brand! But this time, it seems the billionaire unintentionally ended up stealing O’Neal’s thunder. What’s in it? Another beef? Perhaps not.

It is no hidden fact that our Shaq loves being the DJ. And it has to lead to the clubs. Back to context, the connection began with O’Neal’s partnership deal with the Austin-based RTD cocktail brand BeatBox. The Lakers legend recently signed the deal and even made a special commercial ad to boost sales of the brand. Working closely with them, DJ Diesel introduced a new flavor, Blueberry Lemonade. Just to highlight, this new drink contains 11.1% alcohol by volume.

This was Shaq’s time to shine. However, stealing the spotlight was Cuban. The brand presented a special award to the billionaire to appreciate his efforts in helping the brand grow and reach impressive heights in such a short span of time. “I want to thank my friends, my family, and most of all, my family. Because without you, I don’t know where I would be right now,” Cuban said as he held the “almost” real solid gold Beat Box award in his hand.

Well, Cuban does deserve the honor! He was one of the first to show faith in the brand. Shark Tank fans, do you remember BeatBox from 2014 when it successfully impressed Cuban with its plan? He invested $1 million for a one-third stake in the brand. Yes, this was one of the biggest deals. And who knows, his faith might have even influenced O’Neal, who later approached the brand to strike a deal with the brand currently valued at $200 million. “When I first came across BeatBox, I saw a brand with that same bold energy. This partnership felt like a perfect fit,” O’Neal shared. 

It’s truly ironic how O’Neal, who once couldn’t even relate to Cuban during his career, eventually found a common ground. But what was the initial beefing about?

Why did Shaquille O’Neal not like Mark Cuban at first? 

Just try imagining Shaq in a Mavericks jersey. The team would have had a different history. However, Big Aristotle spent his career playing against the Dallas Mavericks. During The Big Podcast, O’Neal shared that he didn’t like Cuban. “The first time, Mark didn’t really know me, but he just started talking trash off the bat,” O’Neal said.

He recalled how the billionaire often trash-talked to him during the matchups. “Shaq’s in the f****** lane, three seconds!” he added, recalling the words. This was way before 2001 since during the conversation, Cuban stated that at that time, the Los Angeles Lakers legend was still with Leonard Armato. It was in 2001 when O’Neal and Armato went two different ways.

Cuban himself, knowing Shaq’s sentiments, nodded his head to double down. “Shaq didn’t like me right at the beginning.” However, time has changed. And surely enough, the two together will further boost the brand’s popularity. There’s always more to the beef that we see, and there’s always settlement that comes the way. But as the two enjoy their life, we wish to see them in more friendly banter because that’s what a character is all about.