It’s no secret in the NBA community that Shaquille O’Neal, valued at $500 million, laid down the law when it came to his kids’ future. “We are not rich, I am rich,” he told his six children, making it clear they’d need to earn their way. Among them, Myles B. O’Neal has been one who took that advice to heart. Myles has created his own way, going from a successful modeling career to becoming a thriving DJ, without solely relying on the recognition of being “Shaquille O’Neal’s son.” And Myles’ younger brother, Shareef, made that clear for us all.

Shareef recently took to Instagram to express his admiration for his big brother. In his story, he shared, “I knew @mylesoneal was lit when I started going back to LA and hearing more ‘are you Myles’s brother?’ More than ‘are you Shaq’s son?’😂😂”. Myles, clearly amused, re-posted it with multiple laughing emojis.

In the O’Neal family, Myles O’Neal is the only child who has chosen a non-basketball-related path. Worth an estimated $5 million, Myles is a self-made millionaire, with modeling and DJ ventures. So Myles would have been the first one to live by Shaq’s “respectable nepotism,” principle. He isn’t letting them have it easy but he isn’t leaving hanging them dry either.

He told his kids they would receive his help, but they needed to come up with their business plan themselves first. So when Myles came up with his idea, the Big Diesel was there to help him kick start. He brought him his equipment and the rest that followed was all up to Myles.

So when Myles had made it, Shaq became a bit more involved; joining forces for the O’Neal Boys. They made history, becoming the first-ever father-son duo to play at Tomorrowland’s iconic Rave Cave. The crowd of 400,000 matched the steps to their mashup of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ and DMX’s ‘X Gon’ Give It To Ya.’

Then Myles knew he truly made it, when he was invited to perform at Lollapalooza this summer. “I love this festival and I love Chicago. And my time has finally come,” he had exclaimed. This had Shareef calling Myles a “Living Legend” on his Instagram story.

So Shaq is also proud of Myles’ journey to become not only self-independent but also create his own identity.

Shaq believes Myles to be The Ultimate Big Brother

In an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t hide his pride when he shared how Myles bought a Tesla from his modeling earnings. The best part? He didn’t need a dime from his father to do it. “I ain’t got no complaints,” Shaq said.

“Look, he makes a lot of money modeling, doing what he does. I can’t tell him what to do. You know, he just bought his own Tesla, top-of-the-line Tesla, drives by itself. Did it on his own. No help from daddy. So I ain’t got no complaints, brother,” Shaq shared, highlighting how independent Myles has become.

In 2022, Myles jumped into reality TV with Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules. And when asked about it, Shaq admitted that Myles had earned the freedom to do whatever he wanted. “Myles is the cunning smart one… He has a hell of a modeling career, respects his mom, respects me. He’s 24 — I can’t say don’t do this, don’t do that.”

Interestingly Myles didn’t plan his modeling career. As he told PAPER magazine, posting fit pics on Instagram was just for fun. “I was still in college, so I did not know at some point I was going to be in front of the camera,” Myles shared. Yet, seeing how his peers made fashion a lifestyle made him realize he could turn that into a career—and he hasn’t looked back since.

He is on a tour now, Flashlight, that takes him through Baton Rouge, Las Vegas, Arlington, and Los Angeles. No wonder Shaq called him “The ultimate big brother” to his siblings in his autobiography, Shaq Uncut: My Story.