Watch: Shaquille O'Neal is emotional and speechless after being gifted painting of late sister and oldest daughter
A couple years ago, Shaquille O'Neal lost his sister after a long battle with cancer. The Hall of Fame center was recently surprised with a gift that left him speechless.
Early Tuesday morning, Shaquille O'Neal posted a video of a painting he received from a friend. It was a portrait of his late sister holding one of his children. Shaq was left in awe and started to get emotional staring at the picture.
He posted a heartfelt caption for the video, showing his appreciation to the person who made the painting.
"John, my brother thank you for honoring Ayesha and her memory in this way. Her love for our family knew no bounds. This portrait of Ayesha and my oldest daughter is a testament to just that. I can't thank you enough."
Ayesha O'Neal was one of Shaq's three siblings. He has another sister, Lateefah, and a brother, Jamal.
Ayesha was only 40 when she lost her battle to cancer. She was first diagnosed while in college but still got her degree while fighting the illness.
Shaquille O'Neal continues to mourn the loss of his sister
Even though it has been a few years, Shaquille O'Neal continues to mourn the loss of his sister. It's clear how much the painting meant to him, as he continued to thank the painter for honoring his loved one.
Since Ayesha's passing, Shaq has not been shy about the pain he has gone through. He lost multiple close people around him in a very short period. Just over a year after his sister's death, fellow LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of the many victims in a horrific helicopter crash.
In his HBO documentary, Shaq opened up on how the two deaths still keep him up at night.
The key to getting through stuff like this is having a strong support system. Along with fellow family and friends to fall back on, Shaq has also built strong bonds in his professional life, most notably, with his fellow "Inside the NBA" hosts.
Following his sister's death, Shaq took some time away from TNT. In their first broadcast without the NBA legend, Ernie Johnson and the rest of the crew took the time to honor Shaq and his family in their time of need.
Shaq responded to this clip, saying how much he appreciates the love he received from his co-hosts on air.