Shaquille O’Neal shoots for a slam dunk with college basketball partnership

Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal has looked to make his mark with expanding the presence of his personalised candy line, Shaq-A-Licious Slams, as it becomes an official partner of the NCAA league, writes Neill Barston.

In forging the connection as the Hershey-produced gummy series of choice for the sport with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the popular sweet treat will be part of the action throughout Final Four Weekend during fan activities.

It will also play a part in Shaquille’s Big Pod podcast, having been forged from his love of basketball and youthful energy.  Each bag features multi-textural crunchy-coated gummy balls in watermelon, strawberry and orange flavours paired with a chewy sour mango hoop, designed to mimic the action of basketball, encouraging consumers to dunk the crunchy gummy balls into the sour mango hoop for their own sweet victory.

“I am thrilled to bring Big Pod and my Shaq-A-Licious gummies to Final Four weekend. It’s a perfect combination of all the things I love, basketball, sweets and bringing people together,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “SLAMS is about having fun. I want fans to stack it, slam it and snack it with me while we watch the future of basketball battle it out on the court.”

A Slam-Dunk Weekend of Fan Experiences
To celebrate the partnership, with Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS will host a series of activations during Final Four weekend:peration Homefront Partnership with Walmart (April 2): Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS and Reese’s are teaming up with the national nonprofit Operation Homefront to give back to military families. The Shaq-A-Licious truck will visit the Walmart Supercenter in Greenwood, Ind. and provide candy and fun as Reese’s NABC College All Star athletes shop alongside pre-selected military families with a $500 shopping spree provided by The Hershey Company.

Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS Truck at the NCAA Tip-Off Tailgate (April 3-6): Taking place on Georgia Street, this free, public event lets fans roll up to the Shaq‑A‑Licious truck for gummy samples, giveaways, and an interactive, candy‑inspired activation designed to capture the thrill of a slam dunk moment. Finally, Big Pod with Shaq Live Taping (April 6): Shaquille O’Neal will record a special live episode of his top-rated podcast Big Pod, celebrating the Final Four atmosphere and connecting with fans at the heart of college basketball’s biggest stage.