"I know you ain't got money... Take care": Shaquille O'Neal once gave Ty Lue $20,000 during 1998 NBA lockout
We've all heard stories of Shaquille O'Neal bullying younger players and testing their aggressiveness in practices. However, former LA Lakers player and current LA Clippers head coach Ty Lue once shared how O'Neal helped him during the 1998 NBA lockout.
Players suffered a combined $500 million in salaries during arguably the worst lockout in league history. Lue had just entered the league and was yet to make his debut. He was among the players who had never earned the staggering NBA money but desperately needed it.
Lue hailed from Mexico, Missouri. He didn't have a good financial background. Lue's grandmother and mother raised him. His goal was to provide for them once he got to the NBA. However, the lockout affected the 2016 championship-winning coach, and that's when Shaquille O'Neal invited him over to his house and lent him money. Here's what Lue said in the Pivot Podcast four months ago:
"We go to Shaq's house ... And he gives me $20,000 cash. He's like, 'I know you ain't got no money. I know it's a lockout. Take care of yourself.' That kind of helped me out ... Shaq just made me feel welcome right away."
It was their first-ever meeting since Ty Lue got traded to the Lakers on draft night, and that was Shaq's way of making the rookie guard feel welcomed on the team. Lue claims O'Neal never even asked for the money back.
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most generous NBA stars ever
Shaquille O'Neal built an empire worth $400 million. That's a commendable achievement, but it sounds more impressive considering his generosity. O'Neal is always the first to do charitable and philanthropic work.
From gifting little kids toys, sneakers, or gadgets their parents cannot afford during his visits to stores to feeding homeless people, Shaq has done it all. Ty Lue's story only adds to the kindness O'Neal has displayed to people around him.
The money he gave Lue didn't only support him financially, but the gesture may have also helped the rookie guard settle into his surroundings. O'Neal was arguably the best player in the league and the Lakers' leader.
Being a rookie, Lue could've been intimidated by Shaq's presence in their first meeting. That may have wavered his confidence. However, O'Neal's welcoming nature turned out to help Lue find his footing in the NBA.
It was rare for rookies to have veterans taking them under their wings early in their careers back then, so that move from Shaquille O'Neal seems even more impressive than it looks now.