shaquilleoneal

Former NBA champion-turned-ambassador Rick Fox says his move into Bahamian politics is driven by purpose and was encouraged by longtime friend and former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

Fox grew up partly in the Bahamas before moving to Canada, and he has publicly confirmed he plans to run as a candidate in the next general election.

During a recent visit to the Bahamas, Fox said O’Neal told him, “Brother, you know I loved your dad. He would be proud. You know I love the Bahamas, because of the people. I know you can make life better for your people. Don’t just do, dominate it. Break a backboard in the process if you have to. Dominate.”

Questions have been raised about Fox’s eligibility and nationality. On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper told reporters he saw no problem.

“If Rick is a Bahamian, he is free to run for politics,” Cooper said.

“I don’t know what his nationality is. I always thought he was Canadian, but if he is Bahamian, he can certainly offer himself for politics in the Bahamas.”

O’neal was seen last week walking through the Mall of Marathon and a picture circulated of him with former Minister of National Security and the Free National Movement’s candidate for Mt Moriah Marvin Dames.

Fox’s political stance and his criticism of the government’s delay in completing road works ahead of a by-election drew ire from some supporters of the Progressive Liberal Party.

In response, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell recently said anyone appointed by the government who publicly criticises it should resign. Fox fired back, saying he will not give up his ambassadorial role because he represents the Bahamian people.

In social-media posts, Fox has called for greater transparency, economic development, and integrity in Bahamian politics.

So far, he has not confirmed which party he will join or whether he will stand as an independent.

“As I lace up for the road ahead, I may need a pair of his size 22s, because the footprint I want to leave for the Bahamas is going to be big.”

Sam Bankman-Fried is not the only person facing the ire of customers burnt by FTX’s downfall. Celebrities who endorsed his now-bankrupt exchange are also in hot water.

NFL star Tom Brady and his supermodel ex-wife Gisele Bundchen, NBA legends Steph Curry and Shaquille O’Neil, tennis star Naomi Osaka, MLB’s David Ortiz and Shohei Ohtani, and the Golden State Warriors are named in a lawsuit for endorsing unlicensed securities.

An Oklahoma man and holder of an FTX account Edwin Garrison filed the lawsuit in Miami, Florida on Wednesday on behalf of “thousands” or “millions” of FTX customers.

This can bear a tremendous blow to the pockets of the named celebrities. The suit does not mention a specific dollar amount but claimed that the celebrities may be liable for “many billions of dollars in damages.”

“Defendants’ misrepresentations and omissions made and broadcast around the country through the television and internet render them liable,” the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit alleges that Bankman-Fried designed FTX “to take advantage of unsophisticated investors” convincing customers to use the services to invest in crypto, adding that none of of the celebrities listed, who appeared in advertisements for exchange “performed any due diligence before marketing these FTX products to the public.”

Garrison who described FTX as a “ponzi scheme,” is represented by noted attorney David Boies–who recently represented Theranos entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes in her trial for fraud.

Bankman-Fried and his executive team will testify on Capitol Hill in Washington in December to discuss the billions of dollars lost in FTX’s collapse.