Shaquille O’Neal is going back to college.
No, the Big Aristotle isn’t chasing another degree.
This time, he’s helping students learn something many of us probably wish somebody had explained when we were 18 or 19 years old:
How credit actually works.
Shaq is teaming up with Credit One Bank for the new Credit Tip Off Tour, a four-stop college tour designed to teach students healthy credit habits and help them avoid some of the financial mistakes that can follow young adults for years.
And because this is Shaq we’re talking about, he’s not exactly planning to stand behind a podium for two hours with a PowerPoint presentation.
He’s bringing DJ Diesel along, too.
The tour kicks off September 14 at SMU’s Moody Coliseum in Dallas, where 500 enrolled students will have the opportunity to attend the free event.
Shaq says the subject is personal because his own financial education included a few lessons from the School of Hard Knocks.
“I learned credit the hard way,” O’Neal explained. “Nobody broke it down for me back then.”
Now, with children of his own in college and entering adulthood, Shaq says he wants younger people starting their financial lives with more knowledge than he had.
“I’m always learning, I never stop,” he said.
That’s actually a pretty interesting message coming from a guy who has already collected NBA championships, an MVP trophy, multiple degrees and a business portfolio that seems to expand every time we check.
But Shaq has never been shy about discussing his early money mistakes.
One of his favorite stories involves famously blowing through an enormous amount of money shortly after turning professional, only to get a financial wake-up call from his banker.
Apparently, nothing teaches personal finance quite like discovering that even Shaq-sized paychecks aren’t unlimited.
The Dallas event will feature a conversation between O’Neal and Credit One Bank chief marketing officer Michael Coleman, moderated by content creator Jenna Bandy. Students will also participate in interactive games and activities built around financial and credit education.
Then class gets considerably louder.
When the lights go down, Professor O’Neal becomes DJ Diesel, with Shaq performing a live set for the students.
Personal finance followed by electronic dance music?
We don’t remember that being offered when we were in college.
After Dallas, the tour is scheduled to make additional stops connected with Georgia State University, Louisiana and Florida Atlantic University, continuing into early November.
The idea behind the program is simple: credit education isn’t always something young people learn in school, despite how quickly credit scores, cards, loans and borrowing can become part of adult life.
That’s what makes Shaq an interesting messenger.
He’s not pretending he always had money figured out. He’s openly telling students that he made mistakes, learned from them and eventually became considerably smarter about managing his finances and business opportunities.
And now he’s passing those lessons along.
It’s another very Shaq combination—education, entertainment, business and a little bit of personal experience all rolled into one.
Learn how to protect your credit score.
Make smarter financial decisions.
Then celebrate by watching a 7-foot-1 NBA legend drop the bass.
Now that’s a college course we would have signed up for.