Shaquille O’Neal prides himself on sporting a corporate look these days, but the 7-foot-1-inch basketball star used to wear totally outlandish outfits back in the day ― for good reason.
“When I had my tux tailor, I used to do a lot of stuff to get attention. So my jackets used to go three inches below my calves. It was a clown look,” he told HuffPost at a JC Penney and Wilhelmina event in August.
Advertisement
“This was before social media, but I still used to go viral. That’s all a form of my marketing. And then when I got older I said, ‘You know what? I did all the little kiddie stuff, it’s corporate time,’” he said of his evolving style.
But the basketball legend, businessman, DJ and designer said he doesn’t regret any of his wild looks.
“Because if it was a look that was really off the wall, it was done for marketing purposes only,” the 47-year-old added. “I know how to get people’s attention and I’ve been doing it through the years, it’s through humor. And I don’t mind laughing at myself. I don’t.”
Advertisement
When O’Neal was wearing these wild suits, he said he would routinely spend $3,000 per suit in order to get it tailored to his requirements.
“For so long, even when I played, I only go to one or two stores to get stuff for me,” he said, of the stores — Rochester and DXL — he used to frequent.
“Or if I didn’t want to go there, I had to go to an expensive tailor,” he added.
Once he retired, Shaq said he rethought spending thousands of dollars on a suit, which inspired him to create an affordable line of suits first with Macy’s and now with JC Penney. He also wants others built like him to still be able to find suits that fit properly without spending such a huge chunk of cash.
“We need to realize that the world is very different. Everybody’s not the same size, right?” the former basketball player said. “Brands need to do a better job of creating for everybody. And if they did create for everybody, I guarantee their profits will go up. It’s a movement that needs to happen.”
Advertisement
In addition to wanting his clothing lines to fit into budgets and offer a wide range of size options, he also wants his big and tall customers to feel like they have a lot of style choices.
“You remember I’m a big man, but I don’t like dressing like big guys,” he said. “It upsets me when I go into a store and I can’t get my stuff. I want to look like that. I want to wear the shoes.”
“Whatever all the hot little guys are wearing, I would like as well,” Shaq added, mentioning that he thinks sportscaster Bryant Gumbel knows how to dress well, though he knows style is subjective and he leans toward a more corporate look.
“I’m very, very business-minded, so all my suits are business-orientated,” Shaq said, adding that he has to look a certain way because he’s on TV a lot. “A lot of guys wear a lot stuff that I wouldn’t wear, but then again, fashion is subjective. You do whatever you think is hot.”
Advertisement
The only time Shaq doesn’t sport the corporate look is when he performs DJ sets around the world. That’s when suits just won’t do for the basketball star, who goes by DJ Diesel when he performs.
“I wear jeans and I always wear a tank top,” he said. Whatever suits him.
Check out more of Shaq’s looks below:
1996
Ron Galella via Getty Images
1996
Jeff Kravitz via Getty Images
1997
NBC via Getty Images
Advertisement
1997
SGranitz via Getty Images
1998
Steve Granitz via Getty Images
1998
Jeff Kravitz via Getty Images
Advertisement
1999
David Keeler via Getty Images
2000
Getty Images via Getty Images
2000
Steve Granitz via Getty Images
Advertisement
2001
Vince Bucci via Getty Images
2001
J. P. Aussenard via Getty Images
2001
Gregg DeGuire via Getty Images
Advertisement
2002
KMazur via Getty Images
2002
Reuters Photographer / Reuters
2002
Steve Grayson via Getty Images
Advertisement
2004
Jamie McCarthy via Getty Images
2005
Michael Caulfield Archive via Getty Images
2005
Dave Hogan via Getty Images
Advertisement
2007
Alexander Tamargo via Getty Images
2010
Andrew H. Walker via Getty Images
1997
SGranitz via Getty Images
Advertisement
1993
Ron Galella, Ltd. via Getty Images
1996
New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images
2015
Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
Advertisement
2016
Matthew Eisman via Getty Images
2017
Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images
2018
Jamie McCarthy via Getty Images
Advertisement
2019
Joe Scarnici via Getty Images
2019
Michael Loccisano via Getty Images
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.