Shaquille O’Neal honored Kobe Bryant’s memory by gifting his mom a restored Toyota Land Cruiser on her late son’s birthday. Kobe, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020, would have turned 47 on August 23.
On “Kobe Day” in Los Angeles, Shaquille handed the keys to the restored Land Cruiser to Kobe’s mother Pam Bryant.
The 1996 Land Cruiser holds sentimental value to Pam. Kobe drove the car while still in high school.
After noticing the Land Cruiser collecting dust while parked outside Pam’s house, Shaq contacted his friends at Effortless Motors to fully restore the vehicle with OEM parts.
Shaq covered the cost of the renovation – which was likely more than the vehicle’s current value.
Shaq said the cost of renovating Kobe’s old car was secondary to honoring his memory.
The NBA Hall of Famer is known for his acts of generosity over the years. He has donated sneakers and shoes to underprivileged children, and even paid off a stranger’s engagement ring lay-a-way.
He is known for covering funeral expenses for families, or tipping waiters thousands of dollars.
Shaquille’s personal car collection includes 30 cars and he spends over $20,000 a month for maintenance and gasoline.
