Shaquille O’Neal Discover the Man Who Gave Him His First Pair of Sneaker What Happen Next Is
guy who used to be your best friend. Now I’m mopping floors and can barely afford my wife’s medication.'” The bitterness in his voice surprised even him, and he immediately regretted the words.
Pastor Thompson placed a gentle hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “You know what I see when I look at those old photos you’ve shown me? I don’t see future NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and future maintenance worker Jimmy Wilson. I see two friends who pushed each other to be better, who believed in each other. That kind of friendship doesn’t just disappear, Jimmy. It waits.”
The diner fell quiet, save for the soft sizzle of bacon on the grill and the distant sound of morning traffic. Jimmy’s eyes drifted to his reflection in the window—gray hair, lined face, worker hands. But for a moment, just a moment, he saw something else too: a young boy with dreams as big as the Carolina sky, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his best friend, both of them believing they could take on the world.
Maria slid a fresh cup of coffee in front of him, her voice soft but firm. “You know, Jimmy, sometimes the hardest part isn’t reaching out; it’s believing you deserve to.”
The morning sun climbed higher, casting long shadows through the diner windows. Jimmy’s phone sat heavy in his pocket, the contact information for Shaquille now a tangible link to a past he had long since buried. The possibility of reconnection felt simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating.
As he returned to his mop, his mind wandered to his son Marcus, working two jobs to stay in college, and to Sarah, whose arthritis kept her from the job she loved as a kindergarten teacher. He thought about the dreams they had all had to defer, the compromises they had made. But mostly, he thought about a promise made on a basketball court 30 years ago when two boys swore they’d always have each other’s backs, no matter what.
The diner’s bell chimed again as the morning crowd began to filter in. Jimmy straightened his back, ignoring the familiar ache, and continued his work. But something had shifted ever so slightly in the universe of his small world. In his pocket, the phone with Shaquille’s number seemed to pulse with possibility.
What Jimmy didn’t know, what none of them knew, was that at this very moment in a luxurious office in Orlando, Shaquille O’Neal was holding his own weathered photograph from 1978, remembering a friendship that helped shape him into the person he became. And he was about to make a decision that would change both their lives forever.
The weekend brought a different rhythm to Wilmington’s streets, especially in the old neighborhood where Jimmy Wilson spent his youth. On the weathered basketball court of Robert E. Lee High School, memories echoed like distant thunder. Jimmy stood at the edge of the court, his work boots scuffing the same concrete where basketball sneakers once squeaked with promise.
It was early morning, the kind of Saturday that belonged to people who couldn’t shake the habit of rising with the sun. Jimmy had made a detour on his way to his weekend maintenance job, drawn by an inexplicable need to visit this place. After his conversation with Pastor Thompson, the basketball court hadn’t changed much—same uneven surface, same slightly bent rims that never quite recovered from decades of slam dunks.
A faded 32 was still visible on the wall, painted there years ago by admiring students. Jimmy remembered when that number was just a jersey choice, not yet a global symbol. The sound of bouncing basketballs drew Jimmy’s attention. A group of teenagers had arrived for their morning game, their energy reminiscent of another time, another pair of dreamers.
He watched them warm up, their movements filled with the same raw hope he and Shaquille once possessed. “You want to shoot around with us?” one of the boys called out, basketball in hand. Jimmy shook his head, managing a smile. “These days, I just watch.”
But as he turned to leave, his hand brushed against his phone—the one now holding Shaquille’s number. The weight of possibility felt heavier than ever. His mind drifted to his son Marcus, working two jobs to stay in college, and to Sarah, whose arthritis kept her from the job she loved. He thought about the dreams they had all had to defer, the compromises they had made.
But mostly, he thought about a promise made on a basketball court 30 years ago when two boys swore they’d always have each other’s backs, no matter what.
As he drove home, Jimmy took the long route through their old neighborhood. The streets were quieter now, the basketball court empty. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange and purple, just like it did all those years ago when two boys would play until they couldn’t see the ball anymore.
He parked outside his apartment building but didn’t get out immediately. Instead, he pulled out his phone one more time. The number stared back at him, no longer just digits but a bridge to the past and possibly to a new future.
Sarah’s voice came to him, something she said years ago when he first lost his construction job: “Sometimes, Jimmy, the hardest step is the first one, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth taking.”
His fingers hovered over the keypad. In his mind, he saw two teenagers on a summer court, their whole lives ahead of them. He saw grape sodas and gold medals, shared dreams and unspoken promises. He saw a friendship that, despite time and distance, never really ended. It just paused, waiting for the right moment to resume.
And maybe, just maybe, that moment was now.
With a deep breath, Jimmy dialed the number. As the phone rang, he felt a mix of excitement and fear. Would Shaquille remember him? Would he be open to reconnecting after all these years?
“Hello?” a familiar voice answered, and Jimmy’s heart raced.
“Shaquille, it’s Jimmy,” he said, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside him. “I think it’s time we caught up.”
And just like that, the universe shifted again, ready to write the next chapter in a story that began on a basketball court in Wilmington, North Carolina, where two boys once believed they could conquer the world together.
Shaquille O’Neal reveals he turned down $40 million offer from Reebok after a woman cursed him out for charging kids too much for sneakers
Known as much for his endorsement deals as he is for basketball, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal revealed this week that his best business move was his decision to walk away from a $40 million deal with Reebok — and he owes it all to a stranger who cursed him out on the street.
‘A lady ripped me a new a**hole while leaving the arena one day,’ the 49-year-old Hall of Famer said on the ‘Full Send’ podcast.
Without specifying the year or where he was playing at the time, O’Neal said he was leaving an arena when a woman called him a ‘motherf***er’ for charging children so much for his shoes.
Shaquille O’Neal attends the launch of Shaq Attaq at Foot Locker on February 15, 2014 in Metairie, Louisiana. Although O’Neal says he turned down a $40 million offer with the sneaker brand, he has continued to have occasional dealings with Reebok over the years
Shaquille O’Neal visits the opening of Reebok Classic Gwangbok-dong store on August 21, 2015 in Busan, South Korea
‘I had $2,000 in my pocket,’ O’Neal explained. ‘I said, ”Lady I don’t make the prices, here you go,” and she smacked the money out of my hand, [and said], ”Why don’t you motherf***ers make a shoe that’s affordable?”
The woman had a point, according to O’Neal, who claims he then decided to turn down a $40 million, five-year offer from Reebok.
‘I was like, ”You know what, she’s right.”
‘So that day, I cut ties with Reebok and started my own brand,’ he said.
‘I said: ”Keep the money… this ain’t right. I’ll still wear the shoes I wear during the season, but I’ll be looking to do my own thing.” So, I started the Shaq brand.’
Although he says he turned Reebok down, a 1998 Reuters article claims the company cut ties O’Neal, who was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time. In this 1997 shot, O’Neal is being defended by the Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson
Although he says he turned Reebok down, a 1998 Reuters article claims the company cut ties O’Neal, who was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time.
Regardless, O’Neal went to partner with Walmart on a more affordable sneaker.
‘I went to my favorite store, Walmart, and we did a deal,’ he said. ‘I was in all stores and my price point for the shoes was $29-$19 and since then we sold over 400 million pairs. It’s not kids that don’t want to wear $20 shoes, they don’t want to wear shoes that look like they cost $20.’
O’Neal played in Reebok throughout his career, occasionally endorsing their products, such as when they re-released some of his older sneakers in 2016. This year, the sneaker company was sold to Authentic Brands Group (ABG), in which he was already invested.
The seven-foot center made nearly $300 million over 19 NBA seasons, but says he’s earned more money in business since retiring in 2011.
In addition to being heavily invested in the bond market, O’Neal is also invested in real estate – including projects – eSports franchises, a Krispy Kreme donut location, and several tech companies, not to mention the fact that he’s a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings.
Retired NBA Players Shaquille O’Neal (L) and Dee Brown attends as Reebok Classic and Shaquille O’Neal launch the new Shaq Attaq x Sneaker Politics shoe in 2017 in New Orleans
O’Neal has made an effort to make more affordable shoes for children over the years
