NBA Icon Shaq Says A Text From His Mom Saying 'Good Job, Baby' Matters More To Him Than Making $15 Million Off A Business Deal

For someone who's made more money off the court than most athletes do in a lifetime, Shaquille O'Neal keeps his priorities remarkably grounded — and personal.

In a video posted last week by veteran San Antonio sportscaster Don Harris, the NBA Hall of Famer revisited his old high school where his legend first started taking shape. "My favorite movie is Superman II, where he goes back to the North Pole or wherever he from and gets his power back," he said. "So every time I'm in San Antonio, I always come here."

Don't Miss:

• ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.26/share with a $1000 minimum.
• Are you rich? Here’s what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy.

Driving through the streets where he grew up, Shaq reflected on the early days — when his biggest dream wasn't private jets or multi-million-dollar endorsements, but to make $800,000 a year, buy a modest house, a Mercedes, and a Jimmy Blazer. "By the time I got there," he admitted, "the money was just so enormous."

Shaq may have earned over $280 million during his NBA career and gone on to invest in everything from Krispy Kreme to real estate and his own Big Chicken restaurant chain. He's backed brands like Papa John's and Google, and built an empire with more than 50 business ventures over the years — but none of that, he says, matters more than the values his parents instilled.

Harris asked about his entrepreneurial drive. "That came from my dad," Shaq said. "He was great at telling me how great I was not." His father hammered home one warning: don't end up like the 67% of pro athletes who are broke within five years of retirement. "That wasn't going to be me."

Trending: The secret weapon in billionaire investor portfolios that you almost certainly don't own yet. See which asset class has outpaced the S&P 500 (1995-2024) – and with near-zero correlation.

His mom and dad also shaped his character — and his approach to giving. His "Shaq-a-Clause" initiative, which gives away toys to thousands of children every Christmas, is just one of the ways he gives back. "Everything I've done that's been charitable, that's my mother and father."

But the viral moment came when Shaq explained what success actually feels like now: "If I can get a text from my mother that says ‘Good job, baby,' that's better than receiving a text that says, ‘Oh, you have gained $15 million interest off a company you bought.' Those texts mean nothing."

Shaq doesn't want to be remembered for the money or fame — just as someone who made people smile. "He was a nice guy," he said.

And for Shaq, that's the kind of legacy you can't measure in net worth.

Read Next:

• Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — invest pre-IPO from $0.60 per share now.
• With shares starting at $1.52, this could be your chance to invest in the future of healthcare.