Shaq Explained Why He Signed Endorsement Deal With General Insurance
NBA Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal learned a hefty lesson regarding finances at an early age. He revealed he tried to return a car he purchased with grant money because he could not afford the insurance to cover the vehicle. Based on how they took care of him back in college, led to his endorsement deal with The General Insurance Company.
According to MoneyWise, the “Inside the NBA” commentator spoke about the reason he became connected to the insurance company that he has appeared in commercials for several years. On an episode of Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings’ “Earn Your Leisure” podcast in July 2021, he discussed not knowing about the added cost of car insurance when he was able to buy a used Ford Bronco when he was in college. The truck was $1,500 and he received a Federal Pell Grant (Federal Pell Grants, a government subsidy, that students with exceptional financial needs have to apply for if they have yet to earn their first bachelor’s degree) payment of $1,800, which is how he obtained the funds to purchase the vehicle.
“In college, everybody had a car but me,” Shaq said. When making the purchase, the salesperson informed him that he would need insurance for him to drive the car. “The guy says, ‘Hey man, before I let you drive you need insurance,’ I’m like ‘What’s insurance?”
After he was schooled on the cost of insurance, which he found out could be as much as $300 a month, he tried to take the Bronco back to the car dealer. That is when the dealer, looking out for him, told him about The General Insurance Company. The insurance company gave Shaq an affordable monthly rate.
Shaq remembered how they looked out for him years before he became an NBA player and eventually signed an endorsement deal with the insurance provider.
“The reason I do commercials for The General now is, one, they took care of me when I was young, but it’s affordable insurance,” he stated. “It’s really a quality insurance company just like all the other companies, but we decide we’re not overcharging people.”
