NBA
Shaquille O’Neal may have made the biggest purchase in Walmart history
Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
All posts by Mat IssaUpdated10 Nov 2023
Along with being a Hall of Famer, four-time champion, and eighth on the all-time scoring list, Shaquille O’Neal apparently has another accolade that he holds near and dear to his heart. According to the Big Aristotle (one of O’Neal’s many nicknames), he is responsible for the largest single purchase in Walmart’s history.
The Big Purchase
On The Late Late Show with James Corden, O’Neal tells a story about how, when he was traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns, he arrived in Arizona with a completely unfurnished apartment. So, to fill it up, O’Neal claims he marched over to Walmart and spent roughly 70,000 dollars on new furniture. Here is his exact quote:
“I have the biggest purchase in Walmart history. 70,000 dollars…So, I get traded from Miami to Phoenix, and I’m the type of guy [who has] no patience. So, when I get to Phoenix, they have an apartment for me [with] no things in it. So, [at around] two or three in the morning, I go to get four or five TVs, I get printers, I get laptops, I get appliances, sheets, towels, underwear, underwear, [etc].”
“At the end, it was 70,000. So, I put my credit card in, and I get declined. So, I pulled it out, and I put it back in. It declined again. So, now I’m saying: ‘I know I’m not broke.’ So, then I just said: ‘All right, I’ll be back.’ So, then the American Express security called me [and said], ‘Hey, man, somebody stole your credit card, and they spent 70,000 at Walmart.’ [And] I said, ‘No, that was me.’ [And they said,] ‘What the hell you buying with 70,000?’ So, they turned it back on. That’s a true story.”
Is This A Big Lie?
While O’Neal has been known to be a Big Boost at times, there is no disputing that he has the pockets to pull this feat off. According to Spotrac, O’Neal’s career earnings surpassed the 286 million dollar mark (imagine if he was in the Los Angeles Clippers starting five instead of Ivica Zubac).
On top of that, he’s spent his post-playing days doing a ton of TV/commercial work, along with the countless business ventures he’s undoubtedly involved in. Overall, his estimated net worth is presumed to be at around 400 million dollars. So, yeah, the Big Diesel may be telling the truth here.
