To say that Shaquille O’Neal is tall is one of the biggest understatements of all time. But even the seven-foot-one former NBA all-star looked (slightly) smaller next to the huge tech exhibits at CES. That is, until he walked into Ring security’s garage-like booth and had to duck to get inside. The NBA MVP and self-proclaimed tech geek made an appearance Tuesday to talk about why he became spokesman for the company, why Ring products rock, and his favorite tech at CES.
“A person comes up my car and they touch my car and my recorded voice yells, ‘Get ‘yo ass out of my car!”
O’Neal — Shaq to most of us — was his usual jovial self in front of a gathered crowd, joking with the audience about how he works “undercover” as a police officer in Miami (it’s true that he’s a cop but he’s not undercover) and how much he hates his fellow TNT Inside the NBA analyst colleague Charles Barkley (probably not true, even though they often jokingly spar on TV).
At one point, O’Neal turned to Ring CEO and founder Jamie Siminoff, who was participating in the question-and-answer session with him, and told Siminoff that he needs to add a security device for cars to Ring’s lineup.
“I have it. It’s a prototype,” O’Neal told Siminoff. “A person comes up my car and they touch my car and my (recorded) voice yells, ‘Get ‘yo ass out of my car! Get ‘yo ass out of my car! Get ‘yo ass out of my car!”
The audience cracked up at the joke and were even more entertained when O’Neal started an impromptu giveaway of Ring products to audience members. It’s unclear whether Siminoff had approved the giveaway or if Shaq was going rogue.
Afterward, Digital Trends got a few minutes with Shaq — shaking hands with him felt like we were inserting our hand into a strong pillow — and talked about how he connected with Ring, and how he felt about Kevin Hart’s Saturday Night Live skit imitating him.
Shaq said the relationship with Siminoff and Ring began after Shaq went to Best Buy to get some security cameras, picked Ring products on a whim, and loved them so much that he reached out to the company and offered to be their spokesperson. Together, they’ve partnered to give away $1 million worth of cameras to people in low-income neighborhoods.
As for Hart’s hilarious SNL skit, Shaq said that it’s important to have a sense of humor.
“You’ve got to be able laugh,” he said.
