Shaquille O’Neal was impossible to go up against on the court in his prime, he dominated everyone in his path ruthlessly. But he always had a heart of gold, and this story Tyronn Lue recently shared goes to show that.
“Eddie Jones took me under his wing and showed me the ropes and taught me everything,” Lue said. “The first week I got in town, he took me to the Century Club and I met Shaq the first night. Shaq was like, ‘Man, Glad to have you. Come to the house tomorrow and have a big meal, whatever, whatever.’
“So we go to Shaq’s house the next day, 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.”
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Tyronn Lue was drafted into the NBA in the 1998 draft and got traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers. That was the year the season was shortened thanks to a lockout, so a lot of young players and role players didn’t have the money at their disposal that a lot of stars did.
The fact that Shaquille O’Neal thought of that and gave a young Lue some money to keep himself afloat in the lockout speaks to how great a teammate Shaq was. He may have pulled quite a few pranks on the people that played with him, but he always took care of his own, which is truly amazing.
Shaquille O’Neal Helped His Friends Make A Lot Of Money Too
It wasn’t just teammates that Shaquille O’Neal was helping out with this stuff, his friends also prospered in life thanks to his help. He revealed what he once told his friends about money after he had made it to the NBA.
“Now, I admit, I have let some of my guys use me, somewhat, to get where they want to go in life,” O’Neal said. “I’ve told them, “When it’s all over, it’s gonna be all over. You all are going to make a lot of money. You’re going to know some of the people I know and have great opportunities in life.” If they want to start up a business, I might help them. But by the time I retire, they should all be set in a lot of ways.”
This is an incredible attitude to have, and Shaq has proven time and again that his heart is as big as he is. He may have some controversial takes from time to time, but there’s a reason Big Diesel is universally loved in the NBA world.
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