NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal surprised a stranger by paying off his engagement ring debt while shopping in a jewelry store.
Shaq, 49, was shopping at a Zales jewelry store in Atlanta, Georgia when he spotted a young man paying down on a lay-away engagement ring. Shaq handed the salesman his credit card after realizing the guy was struggling to pay off the debt.
The 7-foot-1-inch sports analyst was in the store shopping for earrings for his girlfriend, Laticia Rolle.
He shared the story during his TV show NBA on TNT on Tuesday night, April 6, and now video of his generosity has gone viral.
“I seen the guy come in – he was just so shy,” Shaq said. “He was saying, ‘Hey, how much do I owe to pay off my ring?’ And I was like, ‘My man, how much is the ring?’ I’m not going to say the amount, but it’s not a lot for me. I was like, ‘You know what? Tell your girlfriend I got her. I’ll take care of it’. At first, he didn’t want to take it. He was like, ‘Man, I can’t do that’. I said, ‘Don’t worry about it. I do it all the time. I’m just trying to make people smile, that’s all’.”
Shaq, who has more money than he can spend, also paid off a family’s bill at a furniture store.
“This lady, she had an autistic daughter, and she was also looking to pay for some furniture and I just took care of her. I’m into making people happy. Whenever I leave the house, I just try to do a good deed.”
In 2019, Shaq surprised a young fan by purchasing custom shoes and sneakers because the teen’s mother couldn’t afford shoes in his size.
Watch the video below.
