Shaquille O'Neal makes candy a game with new playable Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS

Jackie Longo

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Shaquille O'Neal makes candy a game with new playable Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS image

Shaquille O'Neal has done it again. The NBA legend turned sports broadcaster just came up with a bold new candy idea - and it might just be his best one yet. 

His newest sweet treat, Shaq-A-Licious Slams, which officially dropped in partnership with Hershey's on Wednesday, Jan. 7,  features three sweet and crunchy balls in watermelon, strawberry, and orange flavors, along with a chewy sour mango ring.

Candy time now includes a little play time, thanks to Shaq. Like the game of basketball, the sweet and sour candy is meant to mimic a ball and a hoop.

Fans can interact with the candy by lining up the balls, dunking them into the ring and mixing and matching the flavors to create unique multi-sensory experiences with every bite. It's an invitation to play with your food, and who doesn't love a little sweet and sour crunchy action? We told you it was cool. 

In an exclusive interview with AllSportsPeople, the NBA star said his latest drop might be better than the first candy he created with Hershey's back in 2024. 

"The good thing about this candy is no bite ever has to be the same, because you can mix and match it. We wanted to have a candy that you could play with and have fun with before you eat it," O'Neal told TSN on Tuesday evening. "It's sort of a play on slam dunk." 

The NBA all-star traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania more times than he can count to taste test different products in the lab until the final product was perfect. 

"Good thing about being in a relationship with Hershey is once you're in their laboratory, you can give them an idea and their people get it done. I'm at the point of the relationship to where I try everything that they come up with," he said. 

“With Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS, you are not just grabbing a gummy and tossing it in your mouth. You’re stacking the balls, aiming for the mango ring, shooting your shot, then going in for that big sweet-and-sour chew," Shaq added. People always told me, ‘Don’t play with your food.’ With SLAMS, I’m telling everybody: go ahead and play with your candy. Stack it, slam it, snack it – and if you miss the shot, you still get the bucket.”

READ MORE: Shaquille O'Neal surprises Atlanta kids with sneakers, laptops, and toys at Shaq-A-Claus

Why Shaq refused to make his new candy expensive

While the final product may be a 10 out of a 10, coming up with the right price point was equally as important for Shaq. Notably known for walking away from a $40 million sneaker deal in the 90's so that he could come up with his own line that would be affordable to the masses, Shaq said he had no desire to put a crazy price on SLAMS just because his name was on it.

"Every time I do a joint ventureship with a company, pricing is very important. I'm more on the affordable side. I always tell people there's more people that can afford that then that can afford what I can afford," he explained.

"I don't really act like those other people, I'm more of us regular people," he added. "When I'm paying for stuff, I like to get great quality, especially for what I'm paying for. I don't want to pay $30 for a bag of candy, so I wouldn't charge the consumer $30. We try to keep it very, very affordable." 

Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS can now be purchased at various retailers nationwide. The full lineup includes: 

  • Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies Original: Gummies shaped like Shaq's face featuring peach, berry punch and orange flavors. 

  • Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies Sour: A tangy trio of shapes and flavors inspired by Shaq's legendary nicknames — Diesel, The Big Cactus and The Big Shamrock — in pineapple, mixed berry and watermelon flavors. 

  • Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies in sneaker shapes: Sneakers molded after the SHAQ sneaker in bold mango (orange), lime (green) and strawberry (red) flavors. 

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Editorial Team