Of the 3,191 blocks (including playoffs) Shaquille O'Neal made during his 19-season NBA career, he could have yelled "No soup for you!" after virtually any of the send-backs. The line, made famous during a 1995 "The Soup Nazi" episode of "Seinfeld" about an eccentric soup shop owner in New York City, is embedded in pop culture's lexicon. Now that he's retired from the NBA, O'Neal has another reason to recite the line.

Shaquille O'Neal says "I don't really get involved with companies unless I believe in the product." Original Soupman

On Aug. 31, Original Soupman announced that O'Neal joined the company as an investor, adviser and spokesman. The Staten Island, N.Y.-based company was founded in 1984 by Al Yeganeh, aka The Soupman, who served as the inspiration for the character in the unforgettable "Seinfeld" episode. Even with Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson on board for several years as an investor, Soupman added O'Neal at a time when they believe growth is right around the corner.

With 15 franchise locations spread throughout seven states, primarily in New York, Soupman will add at least two more locations by 2012, at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and Mohegan Sun Casino in Pocono Downs, Pa.

Soupman's Heat n' Serve frozen collection of five soups are sold in grocery stores in 33 states, including at Winn-Dixie, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, King Kullen and Hy-Vee. In order to integrate itself even further into what Soupman labels a $6 billion grocery soup category, the company will release Tetra Pak in February 2012, a non-preservative line of shelf soups that will compete nationally and in Canada with soup can stalwarts Campbell's and Progresso.

Jackson told The Life he would like to see Soupman expand to store chains such as Subway and Starbucks. And Jackson, who claimed he has "a nice piece" in Soupman's holdings, believes that even O'Neal's presence won't overshadow the product.

"The most important thing you can say is not that Reggie likes it or that Shaq is on board," Jackson said via phone. "That's all cool stuff and a nice part of the conversation, but the soup is good and it's healthy."

In a telephone interview with The Life, O'Neal spoke about why he chose to invest in Soupman, his responsibilities with the company and whether there might be a signature Shaq soup on the horizon.

The Life: How did you get connected to Original Soupman?

O'Neal: Well, a cousin for one of the doctors for the Boston Celtics works for [Original Soupman]. [The doctor] was eating their soup one day, I tried it and I thought it was fabulous. They contacted me and asked if I wanted to be a partner. Hell of a good story and very original, and so am I. I thought it was a perfect match.

The Life: What impressed you about the company from the outset?

O'Neal: The first thing that impressed me is they have a great product. It's all about the product. I don't really get involved with companies unless I believe in the product. When I had that lobster bisque -- I tell ya -- like 30 chunks of lobster in that thang, boy. I was like, you know what, these guys are doing this just to impress me. So, I actually went out on my own and bought some off the shelf. My chef looked at it and said there was a lot of lobster in that lobster bisque. I was like, 'These guys are really good.'"

The Life: Why invest in the company, though?

O'Neal: I mean, because I believe in it. It's sort of a business challenge. Right now, they have 15 franchise restaurants, including Mohegan Sun. I'm a very intelligent guy and [executive vice president Sebastian Rametta] is very intelligent, so we're going to use our knowledge to help this company grow. We already got plans. We're talking to other people and other stores, and it's going to be big.

The Life: Original Soupman describes your role as being in a few different areas. Can you describe what it will comprise?

O'Neal: Well, I'm gonna be sort of a guy who's endorsing a product. But I'm also going to be working underground. I've made a lot of business connections, a lot of retail connections over the years. So, we're going to try to work the product in those areas. Hopefully, they give us all stores or some stores.

The Life: What criteria did you and your business management team use to determine Soupman is a good investment?

O'Neal: It is a young company. We like good opportunities; we like to get with young companies that are just coming out. So, the thing I'm doing with Tout, this other thing I did with Power Balance. We like to get with young companies and just help them get to the next level.

The Life: In addition to the 15

franchises, Soupman is also moving into grocery stores nationwide in 2012, right?

O'Neal: Yes, we're moving into grocery stores, we're going to be in airports, in casinos. That's where me and Sebby come in. Now that I'm retired, I can take calls, take meetings and fly and meet people. Do all that stuff.

Yankees great Reggie Jackson is another celebrity investor in The Original Soupman. AP Photo

The Life: What growth do you foresee in Soupman as far as the number of franchises and where else it can expand on the grocery side?

O'Neal: I mean, I don't like to predict numbers. Right now, we have 15 [franchises], so we're going to double that and double that and double that. Right now, it's a great company and they're making money. We don't want to expand too quickly and too rapidly. We're just going to take our time and do the correct deals.

The Life: Will you have a say into which locales Soupman expands?

O'Neal: The good thing about this organization is we're a team. I'm not running the company; I'm not in charge. But I'm going to have some input. As you know, when you're dealing with a team or you're dealing with a bunch of people, you say stuff and sometimes it gets taken; sometimes it doesn't. You know that as a writer, sometimes you want to put something in an article but here comes the editor guy. You know what I'm saying? So, we're going to have meetings. I'm going to have a "say," they're going to have a "say" and ultimately we will make the right decision.

The Life: You mentioned wanting to learn more about the company. What particular departments do you want to learn about?

O'Neal: I mean, like I said I'm just going help them grow by attending meetings. I'm going to be letting people know [about Soupman] on Twitter, on the OriginalSoupman.com about the products. I'm not going to be taking over the company. We already have a CEO. I'm just a partner. And I just think I'm on a winning team.

The Life: Were you looking for a product to invest in that could be marketed easily on Tout?

O'Neal: Not really. It just came to me. I always look for two things: what's next and what's going to be huge. And soup is a $6 billion industry in the grocery stores alone. That does not include restaurants or branded product placement. We just want to tap into that business. Twenty percent of $6 billion …. you do the math.

The Life: What does Tout do to help enhance Soupman's awareness?

O'Neal: Tout is fabulous because there are a lot of people who have Twitter typos, if you know what I mean. With Tout, I can't tell someone to go do a Tout for me. With Tout, people get to see me, see what I'm doing, get to see my passion and they get to laugh. That's why I'm glad Tout came to us. My slogan is, "Why Tweet when you can Tout."

The Life: Do you think marketing Soupman on Tout will hit a different target market for Soupman?

O'Neal: We're going to use all avenues of marketing. I'm not going to use just Tout. I'm going to be in meetings. We have four or five meetings set up with major companies that I will attend, and I will be handling the presentation. I think I'm a good seller.

The Life: I should rephrase that last question. Will your involvement with Soupman help them open a different target market for them?

O'Neal: Yes, it will. We're just looking to expand. Like I said, I've met a lot of people and I've made a lot of connections. We're just trying to partner up with other franchises and make it bigger.