On September 28th, 2023, the opening ceremony of the Freshmen Sports and Culture Festival at Shanghai Jiao Tong University took place at the Huangpu Sports Center. The event included a Freshmen Basketball Carnival and the Gillette O'Neal SJTU Campus Tour. Gillette collaborated with NBA legendary star Shaquille O'Neal, who personally attended the event, engaging in interactive sessions with SJTU faculty and students.

During a special segment of the Freshmen Basketball Carnival, Gillette teamed up with NBA legendary star Shaquille O'Neal, who was present to share highlights from his basketball career. He imparted key secrets to showcasing the best performance on the court and engaged the students and faculty in lively interaction by inviting them to participate in on-court shooting. O'Neal served as a judge for a dunk contest that attracted enthusiastic participation from students. Four high-level players from SJTU's men's basketball team—Zheng Xiaoyao, Liu Guannan, Dun Jiawei, and Jiang Chengxuan—participated in the dunk contest, showcasing their spectacular dunking skills and earning applause from the audience, elevating the atmosphere of the event.

Since its inception in 2021, the Freshmen Sports and Culture Festival aims to convey the university's traditional cultural values of "strengthening the country and the body, advocating culture, emphasizing sports, and promoting health." The festival organizes a variety of exciting sports activities to strengthen the cultural identity of "Love SJTU, Love Sports" and promote a healthy lifestyle among the new students. It encourages active participation in sports activities, enjoyment of sports, and the enhancement of physical fitness.