The NBA legend and new NordVPN global ambassador visits Vilnius and Kaunas in a first-of-its-kind moment for Lithuanian business.
NBA legend, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Shaquille O’Neal has made his first-ever visit to Lithuania, hosted by local tech unicorn Nord Security, the company behind the world’s leading VPN service, NordVPN.
The visit celebrates the global partnership between NordVPN and Shaquille O’Neal, which launched in mid-September. Its message is simple: Online security doesn’t have to be complicated — digital protection should be accessible to everyone. And few people on the planet can carry that message to a global audience like Shaq.
“Everyone here at NordVPN is really proud of what we’ve achieved. It was love at first sight, even if we did look at some other candidates as well. But when Shaq’s name came up, it was a no-brainer. He’s a super charismatic and well-liked guy. I think we can do a lot together. So thanks, Shaq, for believing in us and for coming here,” said Tom Okman, co-founder of Nord Security.
“It’s really just one thing — I have to believe in the company. I already knew about NordVPN and that they’ve been around for a long time. They’re already at the top and doing big things. So I already knew who they were, and then they sent me the commercial. The commercial was fabulous. I just Shaq’ed it up a little bit! People flew down, and they were funny and great, and I said, ‘I want to come to Lithuania.’ And they made it happen, so here I am,”said Shaquille O’Neal.
“We’ve met a lot of basketball players and famous people, but still, when he walked into the office, I was speechless. It took me like five seconds to collect myself, and I said something like, ‘Your Highness’.” said Eimantas Sabaliauskas, co-founder of Nord Security.
Protection against real-world online threats
Earlier this year, NordVPN launched next-generation antivirus protection that stops malware and phishing attacks before they ever reach a user’s device. Independent testing by West Coast Labs found that NordVPN blocks 99% of threats.
“You asked me if I’d ever been hacked. Well, nobody wants to get hacked, right? So people want to make sure their stuff is protected from malware and phishing. NordVPN has always been at the top. I recognized the name, and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’” said O’Neal.
The threats O’Neal talks about are anything but abstract. Every day, NordVPN’s next-generation antivirus scans 12 million URLs and blocks an average of 130,000 malicious websites. What’s more, 99% of the fraud attempts it blocks impersonate one of just 300 well-known brands — a reminder that scammers rely on trusted names to catch people off guard.
Okman also noted that in a world where AI can help scammers steal an individual’s personal information or even identity, it’s not enough to have a great product. Solutions like NordVPN’s next-gen antivirus can provide protection against online threats, but only if people know about it — and there’s nobody better than Shaq to get the word out.
From Cyber City to Žalgiris Arena
The press conference took place on September 29 at Nord Security’s headquarters at Cyber City — the largest cybersecurity campus in Europe — where O’Neal joined co-founders Tom Okman and Eimantas Sabaliauskas to take questions from Lithuanian media on cybersecurity, business, basketball, and philanthropy.
“It’s a dream come true for our community here in Lithuania. Despite being from such a small country, we are living proof that you can achieve anything. You can even dream about having Shaq here -— and make it a reality. It’s unbelievable — we never, ever dreamed this would happen. But sometimes, dreams do come true. And I think it’s a big message for the start-up community in Lithuania. As a country, we can not only be famous for our wins in basketball but also for our technological achievements,” said Okman.
In the evening, O’Neal traveled to Kaunas to watch Žalgiris play its first EuroLeague home game of the season, as the Lithuanian champions hosted Olympiacos of Piraeus. Today, September 30, he returns to Nord Security’s headquarters for a “Time Out” Q&A session with the company’s employees.
The partnership between NordVPN and Shaquille O’Neal is set to run for more than a year, with a major joint event planned for this fall in New York.
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