NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal Is Releasing Tremendous-Sized Gummy Candies

You’ve by no means seen an extended Wikipedia web page than Shaquille O’Neal’s. 

Although he’s described in a latest press launch as “an entrepreneur, sports activities analyst, DJ, restaurateur, and model ambassador,” that description doesn’t even embody the truth that he’s additionally a four-time NBA champion, TV and movie actor, philanthropist, and recipient of a number of levels. 

Now, in 2024, the multihyphenate Shaq has added one other title to his CV: sweet innovator. He has partnered with The Hershey Firm to launch Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies, a line of fruity candies that are available in a number of shapes — together with his personal face.

Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies will are available in two varieties: The Bitter bag will comprise pineapple, blended berry, and watermelon flavors in numerous shapes that every pay homage to O’Neal’s profession, comparable to shamrocks for his time on the Boston Celtics. The Unique bag, which incorporates orange, berry punch, and peach flavors, will characteristic gummies “all delivered in bites of the legendary participant’s head,” because the press launch places it.  

O’Neal tells Meals & Wine that he’s merely “the largest child within the sweet retailer” and wished to create a product that displays that. Thus, quite a lot of the ideation round these new sweets was undertaken by O’Neal himself. It was his concept, for instance, to mould the gummies into the form of his personal head. Why? Catharsis, possibly.

“All of the people who find themselves mad at me — or mad at anyone — simply chunk my face off!” O’Neal says. “I don’t thoughts. It’s all enjoyable.” He notes that his favourite taste is the berry punch, however he’s keen on the bitter bag as nicely. 

If sweet looks as if a random addition to the Shaq portfolio, it actually is sensible when you think about O’Neal’s roots. Having grown up on a navy base in Germany, the land of Haribo, Kinder, and different legendary confectioners, O’Neal was surrounded by nice sweet on a regular basis.

“I bear in mind once they got here out with the Coke-flavored gummies, I assumed that was the perfect on the earth,” he remembers. Even at an Oktoberfest celebration one yr, the place the principle occasion was beer, O’Neal remembers the self-serve sweet space better of all: “I used to be in heaven. There was so many gummies, I couldn’t even imagine it.” 

“Sweet was my approach of understanding that I used to be doing good,” he says. “My father would give me a greenback or two, and we lived on a submit the place they didn’t cost tax, so I used to be most likely in a position to get two to 3 extra. At all times chocolate and, dwelling in Germany, at all times gummy bears.” 

This fondness for sugar introduced O’Neal involved with The Hershey Firm, and the collaboration proceeded from there.

The title, too, was his concept, although it follows the conventions we’ve come to count on from O’Neal at this level — the Papa Johns Shaq-a-Roni pizza, the Burger King Shaq Pack, and the immersive Shaqtoberfest Halloween expertise have firmly established the sample. It most likely would’ve been unusual if these gummies weren’t referred to as Shaq-A-Licious. 

Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies can be found this month at main retailers nationwide, together with 7-Eleven, Walmart, and Goal. Beginning in October, they’ll be out there in Canada as nicely. Lastly, we will chomp down on an NBA participant’s face once more (a chance we haven’t had since Trolli discontinued James Harden’s Bizarre Beards). 

“I simply attempt to deliver enjoyable to all the things that I do, as a result of life is all about enjoyable,” O’Neal tells Meals & Wine. “I simply need to be the man that makes individuals snort.”