January 3, 2022
Shaquille O’Neal Raises $2 Million for Underserved Kids With NFT Sale
NBA Hall of Famer and basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal has freshly harvested $2 million to benefit kids who can use the assistance.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star, four-time NBA champion, TNT analyst, erstwhile rapper and movie star, and mega entrepreneur used NFTs (non-fungible tokens) for charity. O’Neal last month teamed with the NFT marketplace Notables on Shaq Gives Back.
O’Neal verified on Dec. 21 that he would start the collection and give all the proceeds to the Shaq Foundation, per MSN. The organization partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Communities in Schools to back programs and projects targeting underserved youth nationwide, the website reported.
An NFT is basically a digital asset, bought and sold often with cryptocurrency. The NFT business is already skyrocketing and is expected to experience a “massive increase” in volume over the next 12 months as more major investors arrive, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported.
View this post on Instagram
The effort included 10,000 rare tokens featuring the NBA legend in diverse costumes with amusing facial expressions. Within a day, the collection reportedly raised $1 million for Shaq’s foundation. O’Neal dared his followers to keep supporting the charitable push by boosting the amount to $1.5 million before Christmas. Shortly thereafter, the collection pulled in $2 million based on a Notables post on Instagram.
O’Neal’s philanthropic efforts followed other generosity he showed to help others during the holiday season. He just presented 500 children in Atlanta with Christmas presents and presents BLACK ENTEPRISE reported.
Even during his playing days, Shaq was known for having a big heart. On Monday, Dec. 20, O’Neal kicked off his Shaq-A-Claus charity work, which began its 24th year in 2021. The event took place at Wesley Lakes Elementary School in McDonough, GA, outside of Atlanta, where O’Neal gave approximately 500 students Christmas gifts to take home.