{"id":437845,"date":"2026-09-16T16:04:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T16:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/437845\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T16:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T16:04:20","slug":"shaquille-oneal-gives-away-50000-on-texas-college-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/437845\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaquille O’Neal gives away $50,000 on Texas college tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDJ Diesel, aka Shaquille O’Neal, has been DJing since he was a teenager. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

DJ Diesel<\/p>\n

DJ Diesel<\/a>, better known as Shaquille O\u2019Neal, partnered with Credit One Bank to give away $50,000 to Southern Methodist University students at the first stop of the \u201cCredit One Bank Credit Tip Off Tour.\u201d Students came to the event expecting a free set from one of the biggest DJs on the planet, but O\u2019Neal, notoriously generous and equally devious<\/a>, started shelling out cash for students who could make a free throw, something he, the 2000 NBA MVP, could not reliably do.<\/a><\/p>\n

The four-stop college campus tour, which includes a panel discussion about credit literacy, ends with a set from his DJ Diesel<\/a> alter ego. The shows are free for students at each university and, unexpectedly, award high-dollar cash prizes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019ve learned is that providing access [to credit cards] without education to teach people responsible use of credit really doesn\u2019t give people the financial momentum they need,\u201d says Michael Coleman, chief marketing officer of Credit One Bank. <\/p>\n

One student, Zariyah Perry, pursuing a degree in film, confided to O\u2019Neal that she had taken loans in the ballpark of $20,000 to produce a feature. He cut her a deal: for a free-throw, he and the bank would give her $10,000. She made the shot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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THANK YOU!<\/p>\n

You’re all set.<\/p>\n

CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"\"Zariyah Perry, a junior at Southern Methodist University, won $10,000 to help pay off her loans. <\/p>\n

Later in the night, another student made a nothing-but-net shot from a significant distance for another $10,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the panel discussion, O\u2019Neal shared that early in his career, a poor credit score prevented him from making large purchases, including buying a home for his mother, despite having signed a $40 million rookie contract. The NBA star and North Texan shared that 72% of professional athletes end their careers with very little in retained earnings, and he refused to be one of them.<\/p>\n

So now, his advice for young adults beginning to build their credit: \u201cNever miss a payment.\u201d<\/p>\n

After giving away about a semester\u2019s worth of money, O\u2019Neal took his place behind the tables to play a 30-minute set.<\/p>\n

The multi-hyphenate began experimenting behind the turntables as a high schooler in San Antonio and even played sets while a student at Louisiana State University in the \u201880s. Music took the back burner for a few years until he released a string of charting albums in the \u201890s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2023, he reemerged as DJ Diesel, making rave music. The tour will take him to three more college campuses across the country, but the benefit of sharing a metropolitan area with O\u2019Neal is that he plays local shows all of the time. You can catch him at SILO Dallas on Sept. 20,<\/a> but don\u2019t expect $50,000.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: An earlier version of the story, citing information provided by Credit One Bank, stated that the duo had given away $45,000. Credit One Bank has corrected the information to $50,000. <\/p>\n

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