Shaquille O’Neal Says He Doesn't ‘Accept Gifts' and Hasn't in Over 30 Years (Exclusive)

The NBA star tells PEOPLE that he keeps unopened presents in a storage room while chatting about his new commercial for Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans

Shaquille O’Neal takes his role as Santa Claus seriously.

The former NBA star tells PEOPLE that he doesn’t accept gifts from anyone when chatting about his new commercial for Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans. “I always tell my family, ‘Show me a movie where Santa receives a gift and I'll let you buy me a gift,’ ” the basketball legend explains. 

O'Neal and his ex-wife, Shaunie O'Neal, share four children: sons Shareef, 24, and Shaqir, 21, and daughters Amirah, 23 and Me'arah, 18. The athlete also has a stepson, Myles, 27, from Shaunie's previous relationship, and a daughter, Taahirah, 28, with his former girlfriend, Arnetta Yardbourgh.

“I don't accept gifts,” the NBA Hall of Famer continues, noting that the selfless act started in 1992 “when [he] became the breadwinner of the family.”

“As long as everybody else is happy, I'm happy," he adds.

When his children (or anyone!) give O’Neal a present, he doesn’t even open the gift. “ I take it, I got a storage room with 30 years worth of gifts, I'll open it up one day,” he says.

Choosing the right gifts comes easier now that his children are older, O’Neal explains. “It's easy because all they want is cash,” he laughs. “But when they were young, it was much harder. I would have to go into Toys R Us [at] like 11:58, right before they closed and then just wipe them out. A lot of times, they didn't want me to come in Toys R Us early because they didn't want me to buy all the toys so I'd have to come in late, right before closing. They let me take the leftovers.”

O’Neal's latest partnership is helping him get his head in the Christmas game even further. On Wednesday, Dec. 4, a commercial for Pepsi’s latest limited-time product, Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans, dropped and the basketball icon was at the center of it.

In the minute-long spot, O’Neal trades the court for the kitchen during “The Mini Holiday Baking Show”: a spoof cooking competition show that sounds a lot like The Great British Baking Show with the accented voiceover and tranquil music.

“I’m attempting my most ambitious creation yet,” O’Neal explains, showing a sketch of a soda can and a gingerbread house. “They call me G.B.O.A.T. Your Greatest Baker of All Time.”

O’Neal can’t shake his athletic nature in the bit, blocking competitors from getting to the pantry and shouting competitive statements at them. “I don’t know what you guys are doing over there, but it’s not going to matter!” he announces while cracking eggs on his head and blowing gumdrops into his mixing bowl. 

“Make you f------ eat it, James,” he says to another baker before declaring to all, “Pay attention,” and smashing his gingerbread house creation.

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“See what you forgot, smart guy, was the baking soda!” he says, dumping the crushed cookies in the trash and adding Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread into a mixer. After a few more leers at James, O’Neal asks, “You want to see what perfection looks like? Get over here.”

But when he goes to open up the oven door, flames jump out and alarms go off. O’Neal hands James a fire extinguisher and runs out of the kitchen. When the fire is resolved and the time is up, the basketball player returns to show the can of soda on a sheet pan.

“Man, it was fun shooting,” O’Neal tells PEOPLE of his time on set. “I had fun with the people there, and got us in the holiday spirit.” The flavor is a natural fit for the star, who said he likes gingerbread cookies. Despite never having seen TGBBS, O’Neal looked at clips for inspiration.

You won't find Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans in your oven — or grocery store. Fans can get the seasonal flavor on Pepsi's official TikTok Shop — but there’s still a little catch. TikTokers will only score a free Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Can (while supplies last) by purchasing two 10-packs of Pepsi Mini Cans in another flavor.

Soda lovers can also visit Pepsi’s official site to enter for a chance to score Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans now through Dec. 11.