In addition to being a four-time champion, Shaquille O’Neal is a well-known figure. Big Diesel has really succeeded off the court, as evidenced by his amazing DJ sets and memorable commercials. And Leonard Armato, a former agent of his, was the one who led this vision.
The CEO of Management Plus Enterprises and former sports agent spoke on NETWORK’s Grammy and Heisman conversation show. He discussed his strategy with a youthful Shaquille O’Neal. After signing Shaq, Leonard remembers wanting to assist the big guy establish himself as a go-to in marketing, much like Michael Jordan had.
Armato clarified:
“Because Michael Jordan was the ultimate pitch-man. I mean, you couldn’t beat him in terms of endorsing products.”
Armato intended to innovate rather than compete in Jordan’s sphere. His goal was to transform the perception of sports marketing by introducing his new client in a novel way.
The ex-agent clarified:
“And so when I got with Shaq, I said, ‘Look, let’s figure out how you could own your own IP as opposed to having Nike own your IP’,”
Armatto always looked for Shaquille O’Neal’s best interest
Armato sought to establish a scenario in which his client would own 100% of the next generation of Air Jordans and would not be entitled to royalties. Shaq may have switched from Nike to Reebok due to this parallel and its alleged repercussions. Ultimately, O’Neal’s representative was adamantly cautioning him against ceding authority over his name.
Therefore, Armato’s real goal was to elevate his customers’ status as cultural institutions rather than just athletes. He remembered thinking:
“How can we take it and get other companies to use their money to build your brand, but you maintain control?”
After departing Reebok in 1998, O’Neal was able to build his own brand at Walmart because to this mentality. It served as inspiration for a lot of O’Neal’s successful off-court endeavors. Naturally, Diesel was assisted by the agent in pursuing all of these goals. In 1993, Shaq and Armato established T.W.Is.M. (The World Is Mine) Records. Armato assisted the big man in landing a number of commercial spots, including the role in the motion picture “Kazam.”
Big Diesel was obviously influenced by Armato’s way of thinking, even if Shaq and his agent didn’t work together for the entirety of Shaq’s career. Shaq formally established himself as a business tycoon in 2020 when he co-founded the Jersey Legends production firm, realizing the ambitions his former agent had for the 7-footer.
