Shaquille O’Neal has a strong relationship with The General, which has led to some entertaining commercials. With The General joining forces with the NBA’s G-League last year, The 51-year-old NBA legend is the narrator of the docuseries called The Break which takes a look at notable stories and players around the league, including 2021-22 G League Rookie of the Year Mac McClung. PopCulture.com spoke exclusively to O’Neal who has enjoyed being part of the series.
“It’s been great, especially telling Mac McClung’s story throughout the season, watching him shine on basketball’s biggest stage, seeing him do exciting things, like him and Scoot Henderson,” O’Neal exclusively told PopCulture. “It’s clear that the league is heading in the right direction what Mac did from G-Leaguer to dunk champion. Hopefully, these guys get in the NBA.”
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Along with The Break docuseries, The General just launched a new campaign called “The Break,” which features O’Neal in new commercials and an evolved General character. The new campaign features four spots, including O’Neal with internet celebrity “Bad Luck Brian.”
“‘The Break’ campaign is all about giving people a break when they need it the most,” O’Neal said. “It’s like how The General gave me a break when I was in college.” O’Neal has been working with The General since 2016, having become the first athlete spokesperson for the company since it launched in 1963. And there’s one simple reason why O’Neal joined The General instead of another insurance company.
“For me, it’s all about affordability,” O’Neal explained. “Even though I’m The Shaq, everybody else is not The Shaq. My mom is not The Shaq. When I was coming up, my mom didn’t have Shaq money, so we had to do things to fit in our budget. So again, you look at the price points, all this cheap insurance, now, will give you the same coverage as everybody else, it’s just affordable. It’s just a company that cares and they make it very, very affordable.”
“Of course, I could afford a thousand dollars a month insurance, but I’m not paying that. Why I got to pay that? So I’m more about people such as yourself, rather than dealing with these rich, egotistical celebrities that don’t know how to manage their money. I care about the people.”
