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It’s the most giftiest time of the year! But one person you can cross off your list is Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq does not want your gifts, nor any from his friends and family. If you get him something, it will be relocated — unopened — to a storage room he has kept for 30 years. Like his own take on the island of misfit toys, he has a locker of forgotten presents. So what gives with his anti-gift stance? Well, Shaq prefers to play offensive by being a bestower of gifts, rather than a wide receiver of them himself (yes, I know I’m mixing sportsball metaphors). He recently talked with People Mag about his present preferences, while also promoting a new vile heinous special holiday product:
Shaquille O’Neal takes his role as Santa Claus seriously.
The former NBA star tells PEOPLE that he doesn’t accept gifts from anyone when chatting about his new commercial for Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans. “I always tell my family, ‘Show me a movie where Santa receives a gift and I’ll let you buy me a gift,’” the basketball legend explains. … “I don’t accept gifts,” the NBA Hall of Famer continues, noting that the selfless act started in 1992 “when [he] became the breadwinner of the family.”
“As long as everybody else is happy, I’m happy,” he adds.
When his children (or anyone!) give O’Neal a present, he doesn’t even open the gift. “I take it, I got a storage room with 30 years worth of gifts, I’ll open it up one day,” he says.
Choosing the right gifts comes easier now that his children are older, O’Neal explains. “It’s easy because all they want is cash,” he laughs. “But when they were young, it was much harder. I would have to go into Toys R Us [at] like 11:58, right before they closed and then just wipe them out. A lot of times, they didn’t want me to come in Toys R Us early because they didn’t want me to buy all the toys so I’d have to come in late, right before closing. Thye let me take the leftovers.”
O’Neal’s latest partnership is helping him get his head in the Christmas game even further. On Wednesday, Dec. 4, a commercial for Pepsi’s latest limited-time product, Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans, dropped and the basketball icon was at the center of it.
…You won’t find Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans in your oven — or grocery store. Fans can get the seasonal flavor on Pepsi’s official TikTok Shop — but there’s still a little catch. TikTokers will only score a free Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Can (while supplies last) by purchasing two 10-packs of Pepsi Mini Cans in another flavor.
Soda lovers can also visit Pepsi’s official site to enter for a chance to score Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans now through Dec. 11.
I can appreciate someone of Shaquille O’Neal’s wealth and success deciding not to accept gifts, and there is a wonderful gift in itself when you know you’ve given someone a thing they truly cherish. That being said, I have several logistical questions, the most obvious first one being: what about perishables? Do people in Shaq’s orbit know not to give him food that will rot? Has anyone ever learned of his storage room years after giving him home-baked goods, and followed up to tell him he needs to sniff out and toss a package? But of course the key question is, why save all of them unopened in a storage unit for decades? Why is he doing that, instead of opening the boxes to see what’s inside, and redistributing/donating them to where they will be used and enjoyed? Say someone got him the very first iPod — it’s woefully out of date now, but if he had given it away in 2001 to someone who could not have afforded it themselves, it would at least have had a useful life. Also, how does he write his thank you notes?!
As for the project Shaq is currently promoting… I’m a Coca Cola girl myself, but I have enjoyed a Pepsi now and then. I also enjoy the taste of gingerbread. But in the name of all that is good and right and holy, I do not, ever, want to experience those flavors blended together in a soda! (Let alone a zero sugar one!) So if anyone tries springing that sh-t on me, I’ll be investing in my own storage room for unopened beverages.
Please soda responsibly this holiday season.
That’s wild! I completely get him wanting to be the gift giver and not being as into receiving presents when he as so much. His generosity really speaks for him. I don’t understand why he’s still holding on to those presents (and has been for decades!). Maybe they could make someone else happy, help somebody, or raise money for a charity close to his heart?
Our family, due to having people of different backgrounds as well as clearing out elderly relative’s homes full of stuff, has transitioned into activities/ events/ food/ garden/ wildlife as presents.
There’s also the issue that some people really put time & thought into things, even somebody so rich. That just seems kind of heartless to just put it away unopened. I understand getting to the point where you don’t want (or need) things, but surely there’s a better way. As others have suggested, re-gift, donate, or just get better at your messaging to family & friends at Christmas–I LOVE YOU ALL BUT PLEASE DO NOT BUY ME ANY GIFTS!
It’s the worst trying to buy a present for someone who has everything. I deal with this every year with my MIL. This year she said not to get her anything which seems awful as everyone else is opening the presents she gifted to them. Maybe a nice bouquet of flowers?
Anyway, Shaq’s heart is in a good place but it would be less wasteful to open the present in front of the giver and then donate it to a charity in need. Heck, sign it and allow a charity to auction it off as a fundraiser. Or ask people to donate to a charity of their choice in lieu of a gift that he won’t use.
That soda sounds bad and I think they’re making a mistake marketing it only through tiktok, but I don’t have an mba, so what do I know? I just feel like the youngs don’t drink soda as much as older generations, and they are the primary users of tiktok. And also, who wants to ORDER soda? Seems like a pain just to try something that will probably be gross bc yuck, it sounds terrible. Coke made a cinnamon flavored holiday temporary flavor a few years ago and it was very very bad
I imagine a celebrity like him gets given a TON of stuff, but it’s a little sad to me he doesn’t even open and use gifts from his kids. I understand he wants to be the gift giver and is generous, but I still remember as a kid picking stuff out for my parents and being excited when they opened it.
And all the other stuff, I’d auction it off or just donate it all. Sitting in a storage unit is pointless.
Gingerbread Pepsi you have to order through TikTok? Apparently we are in the timeline we deserve.
The chaotic ad!
Not even Shaq could convince me to try Gingerbread 0 Pepsi. Just thinking about it makes me shudder and my teeth hurt.
That was a funny bit, but…nah, thanks, I’m good. Regular Diet Pepsi will do.