Shaquille O’Neal has proven to be nearly as popular a broadcaster as he was a player and it’s paying off for him.
The Hall of Fame center has agreed to a new long-term contract to remain at TNT Sports and he’ll earn more than $15 million per year, according to Front Office Sports.
The news comes as “Inside The NBA” heads to ESPN due to TNT losing the media rights to broadcast the NBA after this season.
But TNT will license the program to ESPN, as well as ABC, starting next season.
There had still been uncertainty about whether the four members of the program, Ernie Johnson and former NBA players — Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and O’Neal — would continue to be a part of it.
But Barkley said he would stay with TNT for the rest of his 10-year contract, which has seven years remaining, and Johnson and Smith are both also expected to remain.
The O’Neal news comes just a day after the Lakers great joked that the crew was “getting fired anyway” following an appearance by former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch, who used profanity on the show.
O’Neal, 52, reportedly made nearly $300 million over his 17-year NBA career, as well as plenty more from commercials.
He now figures to be among the highest-paid broadcasters in the industry more than a decade after beginning his career in the industry.
