Shaquille O’Neal has turned a new chapter this March Madness. This month is a big celebration for the 4x NBA champion. After his youngest daughter’s Me’Arah and the Florida Gators secured an 86-84 win over UNLV, the Big Aristotle treated the team at the Big Chicken. While the burgers might be savory, Shaq is also making some sweet moves.

After inking a deal with Hershey’s last year, the 4X NBA champ has been all about leading Shaq-A-Licious to new heights. Did you know that the Big Aristotle is the creative mind behind designing the Shaq-A-Licious gummies? It was his idea to mold the gummies into the shape of his face. While fans enjoyed the new flavors, they also loved the creativity. So, in a not-so-surprising move, O’Neal and the brand (valued at $35 billion as per Macrotrends) joined hands to make the Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies the Official Gummy of March Madness. 

“The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is full of fun and energy, that aligns perfectly with the Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies brand. With Shaq-A-Licious joining our other Hershey’s brands as NCAA partners, we’re ready to score big sweet and salty game day moments,” Dan Mohnshine, VP, U.S. CMG Marketing, The Hershey Company said. 

Stepping into the new year, the Lakers legend and the brand are taking the world by storm at the NCAA tournament. This comes as part of Hershey’s multi-year partnership with the NCAA, CBS Sports, and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. The Final Four celebrations will take place in the presence of Shaq and the XL Gummy brand at the Reese’s College All-Star Game on April 4. 

Hershey’s will also team up with the San Antonio-based NGO Operation Homefront, which supports military families. For someone who comes from a military family from San Antonio, this is sure to be close to Shaq’s heart.

Shaquille O’Neal joined Home Depot for 7 ads

Back in 2024, he joined forces with Home Depot for March Madness. As part of this deal, he has been featured in seven commercial ads. The campaign, “How to March Madness,” included Tips from the Tool Shaq, which is a content series that was to help doers get their spring projects done. 

The series had several entertaining videos that merged basketball themes with common spring projects. They included “How to Protect the Paint” and “How to Clean the Glass.” “We’re going to mix basketball terminology with things that go on at Home Depot. Topics like ‘Seeding The Bracket’ and ‘Cleaning The Glass.’ They’re very cute ads,” Shaq said.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend has cleverly created a massive empire of lucrative deals and strategic partnerships worth $500 million. He has stakes in Auntie Anne’s Pretzels locations and much more. He couldn’t have missed such a great opportunity. Speaking of O’Neal’s deal with Hershey, the company already launched the all-new Shaq-A-Licious XL Sour Pineapple Slurpee in partnership with 7-Eleven for the fans. The limited-time Slurpee debuted on March 18, 2025, and will be offered until April 29, 2025. Make sure you don’t miss out on it!