Shaquille O'Neal’s unconventional gifting tradition: “I don't accept gifts”

Shaquille O’Neal has made it clear that he doesn’t accept gifts — and he hasn’t for over 30 years. The NBA Hall of Famer opened up in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE about his personal rule, explaining that it started in 1992 when he became the primary breadwinner for his family. "As long as everybody else is happy, I'm happy," O'Neal says, adding that he keeps unopened gifts in a storage room and has not opened them in decades.

This tradition, he says, also extends to his children, even though gift-giving has gotten easier as they've grown older. "All they want is cash now," O’Neal laughs. But when they were younger, he’d often find himself scrambling last-minute for gifts at places like Toys R Us.

In addition to his long-standing personal rule, O'Neal is also gearing up for the holiday season with a new commercial for Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans. In the ad, he’s the star of a spoof holiday baking show, taking on an exaggerated cooking role as "The Greatest Baker of All Time" (G.B.O.A.T.). The commercial showcases his competitive spirit, turning up the holiday fun with his signature humor and larger-than-life personality.

Fans can grab the limited-time gingerbread soda on Pepsi’s TikTok Shop, but only with the purchase of two 10-packs of Pepsi Mini Cans in another flavor. The festive commercial and new product drop are sure to make O’Neal’s holiday season even sweeter.