Shaquille O'Neal goes from attacking the rim to attacking appetite, plans to open 200 Big Chicken restaurant in South Florida

Former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal has been on the airwaves recently after his trip to Australia. However, the most recent news story on the former NBA great is the expansion of his fast food restaurant Big Chicken.

According to Mercury News, Shaquille O'Neal's business is opening new outlets in Florida. The deal adds 45 new franchises, with locations Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach opening first.

"All told, the fried-chicken franchise founded by the basketball icon in 2018 inked a deal for 45 franchises in Florida, with Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach slated to open first. New storefront leases are 'days away' from being signed with future outposts destined for Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers," the report read.

Shaquille O'Neal's business partner Fred Burgess said this venture from the three-time Finals MVP is different from other celebrities. Burgess said this is Shaq's brainchild and not just an endorsement like other celebrities tend to do.

"This isn’t the usual case where a celebrity endorses a chicken place. This is actually a brand he created by himself and is inspired by him. He found these veteran partners and wants to scale up fast," Burgess said.

Burgess also said O'Neal has set his pride aside by not being the focal point of the business for the venture to thrive and scale better.

"He could have called this Shaq’s Big Chicken. But the brand isn’t focused on him. When you enter a store, you’re not surrounded by Shaq. They stayed away from that. It’s incredible to keep your ego out of it," Burgess said.

News broke that the business was trying to break into the Canadian market, with 10 outlets set to open in multiple cities in Canada.

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Shaquille O'Neal's thriving business ventures

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Shaquille O'Neal created a name for himself by establishing his legacy as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His off-court activities have seen him amass nearly half a billion in fortunes.

Diesel's diverse portfolio has seen him take his career earnings in the NBA and multiply it by investing in creating businesses. Five Guys, Krispy Kreme and Papa John's are some of the biggest companies he has invested in. He has been on the board of Papa John's since 2019.

O'Neal reportedly has 155 burger joints, 40 gyms, and 17 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. He has also invested his money into 150 car washes and multiple movie theaters across the country.