Time for Shaquille O’Neal’s All-Star to buckle up as it’s more than just the NBA All-Star title at stake now. Named Shaq’s OGs, the team includes seasoned talent in the form of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and more. The question is can these stars do what their combination and synergy did for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics? Yes, there is no national pride to defend here but they sure can fight for their GM’s honor who has been challenged by one of his own close associates.
Here’s the deal: if Shaq’s OGs win, he gets $100,000 worth of custom modifications on his brand-new truck, all courtesy of Effortless Motors. Sounds like a sweet reward, right? Well, not so fast. This isn’t a gift—it’s a straight-up challenge. An Effortless Motors executive revealed the bet in a video announcement on Instagram.
“Just got off the phone with Shaquille O’Neal. We just bet $100,000 to Shaquille O’Neal on his brand-new custom truck. If Shaq’s team wins the 2025 NBA All-Star, this hundred-thousand-dollar custom truck will be on Effortless Motors,” he said. And like we said, the guy isn’t rooting for Shaq! In fact, he made it clear he’s backing anybody but Shaq’s OGs.
The attention would anyway most likely be on Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley’s teams as they arguably have stronger sides on paper. While we already mentioned the kind of players gracing Shaq’s OGs, Chuck’s Global Stars aren’t exactly lightweights. With Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama on his squad, Barkley’s team is just as dangerous.
And honestly, they might have a point. As stacked as Shaq’s OGs look on paper, Chuck’s Global Stars aren’t exactly lightweights. With Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama on his squad, Barkley’s team is just as dangerous.
Of course, we can’t ignore the major shake-up on Barkley’s team: Giannis Antetokounmpo is out with a strained left calf. No doubt that changes things, but let’s be real—the battle between Shaq and Chuck’s teams is still going to be fireworks.
However, before we even get to that, Big Diesel’s squad has to take care of business against Candace Parker’s Rising Stars. On paper, this should be an easy win for them, but let’s not forget what Charles Barkley had to say on Inside the NBA. “Shaq’s team gonna hate each other… LeBron [James] and AD [Davis] ain’t gonna be speaking ’cause they mad at each other. KD [Durant] gonna hate Steph [Curry] cause he don’t wanna play with him.”
However, if the 2024 Olympics were any proof, we have seen how quickly these players can gel up for a common goal: winning. And now with Effortless Motors’ bet in the mix, things are even more interesting. Think about it: the company that helped with Shaquille O’Neal’s first ride of 2025 betting against him.
Effortless motors amped up Shaquille O’Neal’s near $127,700 purchase for himself
If there’s one thing we know about Shaq, it’s that he doesn’t just buy cars; he makes sure they stand out. From owning a one-of-a-kind two-door Lucid Air by West Coast Customs to picking up the latest head-turners, the man knows his wheels. And in the first month, he was rolling into 2025 in style with a brand-new Cadillac Escalade IQ.
And yes, this wasn’t just any Escalade—it was the first-ever all-electric version, and at $127,700, it already seemed to be a beast. But Shaq being Shaq, he wasn’t going to leave it stock. He teamed up with Effortless Motors and Ballerz Inc. to give it some serious attitude, slapping on 26-inch Travis Scott-style Cactus Jack wheels from Forgiato Designs.
And not to forget about that blackout look—inside and out. Yep, this thing is all-black everything. Effortless Motors seems to have gotten a hold of what Shaquille O’Neal exactly needs. Could the aforementioned $100k bet by the dealership against the former Los Angeles Lakers also be something he needed? An additional push for the win at 2025 All-Star weekend.
The post $100,000 Bet Against Shaquille O’Neal by His Favorite Dealership Adds Unexpected Twist to All-Star Showdown appeared first on EssentiallySports.