Shaquille O'Neal's $1100 gesture for struggling mother was spurred by mother Lucille O'Neal's wisdom: "My mama told me to do it"
NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has been known for being quite a giving individual. While O'Neal largely credits that to his parents and their influence on him, he recalled one such act that was inspired by his mother, Lucille.
Tales of Shaq's extravagant spending habits are well-known. From blowing large amounts of money on Walmart and Amazon shopping sprees to spending even more after signing a max contract, Shaquille O'Neal splurged like few else.
However, over the years, Shaq has found ways to use his wealth to support people in need, through charity and philanthropic work or even daily acts of random kindness. O'Neal is always there to help a person in need.
Shaq has said about how he developed a love for giving and making people happy from his parents. In one incident, O'Neal gave $1100 to a struggling mother on the advice from his own mother, Lucille.
Shaq narrated the incident on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast. He recalled being in line at a Best Buy and seeing a woman trying to buy laptops for her children. He added:
"She owed like $1,100 and I heard her say, ‘Okay Imma bring $300 this week,'” O’Neal recalled.
“And she grabbed one of her babies and said, ‘I’m gonna get the laptops in two weeks, baby.' He continued, “And I said, ‘I got you.’ She’s like, ‘You don’t have to do that.’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, I do because my mama told me to do it.’”
Shaq continued:
"My motto lately has been: it could be worse, and that could be you. $1,500 ain’t nothing to me, but a mom trying to help her babies go to school. I’m standing right there. Do it.”
Shaquille O'Neal put his parents on salary after getting drafted
It goes without saying that making it into the NBA implies a significant amount of money coming in. While many professional athletes tend to squander this wealth, Shaquille O'Neal made the conscious decision to set his parents up after getting drafted.
After being drafted in 1992, Shaq made the smart decision of setting up his own brand. In the process of doing so, he hired his parents and put them on a salary to manage the brand while also getting them an office and a car.
While building his fortune over his career, Shaq ensured that his parents were set for life. After retiring, he expanded his business ventures and built his wealth.