5 Moments That Show Shaq’s Heart Is As Big As His Freakish Body
Shaquille O’Neal is under no obligation to help anybody. First of all, because he’s ridiculously rich, and the wealthy have made it clear that paying that forward is far from expected. Secondly, because when you’re that size, odds are people aren’t likely to walk around calling you an asshole. Nevertheless, the big man has made it clear that he feels a real obligation to help those less fortunate. I’m not talking about self-serving fake philanthropy that’s hiding tax breaks under the guise of goodwill either, but immediate, face-to-face assistance.
Here are five times Shaq proved he’s a great guy to run into anywhere but inside the paint…
Buying An Engagement Ring
One pattern that seems to emerge is that when Shaq goes shopping around his home in Atlanta, nobody’s going home empty-handed. Apparently, Shaq was shopping in a Zales jewelry store when he overheard another customer discussing payment plans for an engagement ring for his girlfriend. Shaq, for whom I assume bracelets work as rings, handed over his credit card instead.
Not only did he provide him with the ring to start a life with his partner free of charge, he also kept him out of what was likely a less-than-friendly retail loan, which is a blessing in itself.
Buying Laptops
These two kids in a computer store might not have known who Shaq was, but it’s pretty obvious to anyone that he’s not just some regular guy. An employee shows them Shaq’s highlights on the store laptop, and tells Shaq they come in every day to use the computer. Remembering when he and his cousin used to window shop the same way, Shaq buys both kids a computer.
Pretty safe to assume that they’re both basketball fans now.
Supporting Schools
For someone that didn’t necessarily need to, Shaq is apparently incredibly dedicated to education: both his and others. Videos of him supporting schools across the country aren’t hard to find, but in my eyes, it’s little things like dedicating time without being asked that really shine through. Shaq is apparently a fixture at his local school, known to the students as “Uncle Shaq,” and he often talks about his dreams of opening his own kindergarten through fourth-grade schools.
Taking A Walmart Shoe Deal
It’s one thing to donate money to a cause you believe in. It’s another entirely to take food out of your own mouth when you realize it doesn’t feel morally right. There aren’t many celebrities or businesses that would spurn lucrative opportunities, instead shrugging their shoulders with a “what do you want me to do?” But when a mother criticized Shaq for his Reebok shoes being too expensive for kids who were fans of his to afford, he immediately called up Reebok and stopped the deal. Instead, he launched an affordable line of Shaq shoes with Walmart.
Given what a shoe deal can mean for a player of Shaq’s caliber, this is a pretty astonishing decision.
Shaq’s Dedication to A Teammate
Imagining an active Mormon joining the L.A. Lakers is an easy punchline. It’s a fish-out-of-water story ready for a sitcom, and you could be sure that the devout player would be the butt of the jokes. Shaq, though, instead recognized and respected the value and intensity of that real player’s beliefs. When Mark Madsen joined the Lakers, Shaq not only held back from cracking jokes about his Mormonism, but did anything he could to help him — and defended him in the locker room. He also helped buy him suits, put down payments on cars and even reportedly put time into trying to find him a Mormon wife.