Another Shaquille O’Neal media sighting. In case you missed it, it’s worth a check on YouTube (we’ll have the link below). Shaq was a guest on the Jimmy Kimmel late-night show, talking about some of his latest experiences, including a shot on a popular dating app.
So yes, it’s true. Shaquille O’Neal tried Tinder, but as he told Kimmel, it did not go over well. Note from the editors of the ShaqFu Radio blog: We have zero experience with Tinder. Is it still cool? Feel free to tell us about your experiences here on the blog or on the ShaqFu Radio Facebook page.
As for good news, Shaq did spend some time talking about his big upcoming charity event to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. As we know, Shaq is a huge supporter of kids programs, especially in the area of sports and recreation. He’s partnered with the Kellog’s cereal company and their “Mission Tiger” initiative to raise money to help support middle school sports programs and facilities.
For more on Mission Tiger and Shaq’s partnership with Tony himself, check previous posts right here on the blog.
As for Tinder…well, let’s just say it was not a slam dunk for the former NBA superstar. In fact, the app didn’t last for long on his phone.
Shaq on Kimmel: “I signed up for Tinder, put in my name, and I tried to make a person meet me. And they didn’t believe it was me. I was like, ‘It’s me, it’s Shaq.’ And she said, ‘Shaq would never be on this.’ So I had to hit delete. I had to delete my account.”
Which begs the question: Would you believe it if you saw Shaq on an app like Tinder? Of course we see all his posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but those services (and others) have processes for verifying that the person claiming to be someone famous really is that person. (We like the little blue checkmark on Twitter accounts to show this person is the real deal…)
So… don’t expect to see Shaq on Tinder anytime soon. Maybe that site / app will also install some kind of verification, but who knows? How many famous names are looking for a date online? Sure, our man did it, but he’s always been a trend-setter, right?
As for other topics, O’Neal also talked with Kimmel about his recent acquisition of Reebok, the company he signed with when he entered the NBA in 1992. O’Neal is part owner of the sporting goods brand along with the Authentic Brands Group, and that company recently took over Reebok, which has struggled a bit lately, business-wise.
Shaq wants to put his business expertise to work. “We look to bring them back to prosperity,” he said, noting that he wants to bring back some of the classic shoes the company made. Be on the lookout for models like the Reebok Pump, a popular basketball shoe dating back to the 1990’s. “A lot of retro Reeboks will come back,” he added.