Updated Sep 15, 2015 at 3:51p ET
In a new interview, Shaquille O'Neal revealed the worst business decision he ever made: Turning down an offer from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to get involved with the coffee chain.
The former NBA big man claimed he passed on the deal because he believed "black people don't drink coffee."
From the interview with Yahoo's Graham Besinger:
"My agent calls me up and says Howard Schultz wants to do business with you. I'm like, 'Coffee? Ugh.' Because growing up in my household, I had never seen a black person drink coffee. So it was my thought process that black people didn't drink coffee. … In my house, it was always sweet tea or hot chocolate."
O'Neal went on to recall his meeting with Schultz.
"Howard says, 'Shaq, I want to give you the opportunity to go in with me and open up these Starbucks franchises in African-American communities.' And I'm always a guy that, if I don't believe in it, can't do it. Will never do it. No amount of money can make me endorse something I'm not 100-percent behind. So I looked the great Howard Schultz in the face, and I said, 'Black people don't drink coffee, sir. I don't think it's gonna work.' You should've seen his face."
Shaq did say that he and Schultz are "still good friends today," despite the botched business opportunity.
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