O’Neal has relationships throughout the basketball world. Himself a McDonald’s All-American in 1996, O’Neal is a committee member for the annual boys and girls McDonald’s All-American games. Suffice to say a phone call from O’Neal carries weight. “Now, what I will not do is lie for a kid or parent,” he says. “It will always have to be earned. Because I’ll always have another kid right behind that particular kid. … If I’m going to talk to USA Basketball or Nike or ESPN voters, I value them answering my call, respecting my opinion.”