Success in all endeavors: Olympiacos star Shaq McKissic building empire in Greece
by Zach Mason
Director of Communications, The Basketball Embassy
It’s easy to marvel at Shaq McKissic’s accomplishments, whether it’s the heroic effort he delivered in a rivalry win over Panathinaikos at the end of last season, his work to elevate social justice issues, or the success of his growing media company.
The trials he overcame to get where he is now make his story even more inspiring.
Before he reached his twentieth birthday, McKissic endured the death of his best friend, a period of homelessness and a three-month stint in jail. He never met his biological father and, along with his siblings, was forced to take care of himself while his mother was at work.
Academic requirements limited his options at the collegiate level and after playing two seasons at Edmonds Community College in Washington, McKissic earned an opportunity to play at the Power-5 level at Arizona State.
Despite an impressive run in Tempe, McKissic went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft and spent the next half decade playing in five different countries for seven different teams before finally reaching the EuroLeague.
There were more than enough reasons for McKissic to abandon his goals and ambitions on the path to the most prestigious league in Europe, but the high-flying guard said he wasn’t built to give in so easily.
“One of the things that stood out to me in one of the previous books that I was reading,” McKissic said, “it’s been scientifically proven that characteristics like resilience are formed in your DNA. I just kind of think that I was blessed with that in my DNA because never once did I have the thought of like, ‘Oh, I’m giving up, I’m about to quit.’ It just never came across my mind. I think that tenacity, for me, it just felt normal.”
McKissic, No. 77, in action during the 2020/2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 32 match between Valencia Basket and Olympiacos Piraeus at La Fonteta on March 31, 2021, in Valencia, Spain.
McKissic’s drive to reach his full potential propelled him to the pinnacle of European basketball, starting for perennial Greek power Olympiacos. As he’s risen to prominence on the court, he’s also cultivated a brand online, featuring multiple YouTube series, a blossoming Twitch channel, and appearances on other media platforms, such as the EuroLeague’s Table Talk on Racism.
The EuroLeague has made racial justice more of a priority in recent years, and McKissic said he appreciated the league’s willingness to not only have those conversations, but bring on someone as passionate as him about these sensitive issues.
“To the EuroLeague’s credit, I feel like they realized [they needed] somebody who’s willing to make a splash,” McKissic said. “It’s one thing to get guys and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk about racism’ but they see that I’m active out here. I think they acknowledged, like, ‘Hey, that would be a great guy to come on here. We won’t have to do too much to vet him. He’ll give us the content we’re looking for.’”
Player’s Choice, McKissic’s basketball podcast, also tackles current and trending social issues, from the capital riots to anti-semitism in the NBA and particpation requirements for transgender athletes. However controversial the subject, McKissic promises to be authentic in every conversation.
“What is a podcast, or what is a great show, if we sit there and we try to straddle the line and we don’t try to give the real?” he said. “These are real topics. And it gets boring sometimes. It gets repetitive sometimes. But me being offended that somebody would do something also gets repetitive and redundant, and I also don’t like the fact that we always have to talk about this. But these are real life topics.”
Balancing his responsibilities on the court with his entrepreneurial endeavors off the court, while trying to spend quality time with his family, ensures McKissic’s schedule is always booked. His growing media presence in Greece also makes him more easily accessible to fans, for better or for worse.
“I love that pressure,” he said. “I love that pressure of fans being like ‘Hey, you better be performing because if you’re not, and you have this show on Twitch, we’re gonna bring it to your front door.’ So that keeps the pressure on.”
Life under the microscope hasn’t hindered McKissic’s play in the EuroLeague. In his second year at Olympiacos, McKissic is averaging 10.8 points per game - good for third-most on the team - to go along with 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals. He’s scored 18 or more points in six games this season, including a 24-point outing against second-ranked CSKA Moscow.
McKissic drives by Tim Schneider, No. 10 of ALBA Berlin during the 2020/2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 30 match between ALBA Berlin and Olympiacos Piraeus at Mercedes Benz Arena on March 18, 2021, in Berlin, Germany.
McKissic’s recent success earned him a two-year contract extension with Olympiacos, which he signed in February. Part of the reason behind his surge in production, he said, was his decision to stop dwelling on every mistake he made on the floor.
“I literally got caught up in every turnover, every referee call, every missed three, every missed free throw,” he said. “The moment I said ‘Hey, I don’t care. I’m comfortable going back to the States if I never get a job again and starting this company.’ That’s when my basketball started to take off and I started playing better. Like, go figure.”
As the 29-year-old continues to pick up momentum in both his basketball career and media empire, McKissic said he’s aiming to host a EuroLeague-sponsored YouTube series in the next year. He also said he’s determined to win a trophy for Olympiacos.
“The one thing I think about is, no matter how this year ends, I know this summer, I know I want to win a EuroLeague Championship,” he said. “I know I'm going to apply myself and recalibrate to really prepare myself like I haven't in any year prior.”