Shaq to Release NFT Collection

Four-time NBA champion and serial entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal is releasing his own collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in partnership with Ethernity Chain, the company announced Monday.

The release, titled “Shaquille O’Neal: The Eras of Dominance Collection,” will run on Ethernity, an Ethereum layer 2 platform and will be available for purchase on Oct. 15.

The collection features five different NFTs depicting scenes from three of the teams O’Neal played for during his career – the Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat.

Buyers will be entered to win a pair of custom size 22 shoes and a personal video call with O’Neal himself, as well as a dinner table at O’Neal’s music festival.

Ethernity has previously launched athlete-partnered NFT collections with National Football League running back Ezekiel Elliot and famed boxer-turned-politician Manny Pacquiao.

After telling CNBC in September that he’s waiting to “get a full understanding of what [cryptocurrency] is” before investing, O’Neal made his foray into the NFT market last week when he purchased two Creature World NFTs, making one his profile picture on Twitter.

In late August, Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry purchased a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT for 55 ETH and used it as his Twitter avatar.

In May, Shaq did give a shout-out to Ethernity’s Muhammad Ali drop, in a possible prelude to his current tie-up.