Shaquille O’Neal has helped a lot of people during his life. The Big Diesel has always stated that he tries to give back and never misses a chance to back up his words. He’s paid for other people’s things, like an engagement ring and furniture for a woman whose house was burned to the ground, among other things.
The Big Diesel always had that mindset of taking care of those around him. He did it with his family and strangers that he met along the way, but most importantly, he helped his friends become successful.
Shaq promised himself he would help those who were with him from the beginning, and instead of handing them money, he made sure they linked up with the right people to create something on their own. In his book “Shaq Talks Back,” O’Neal explains how he helped his friends instead of just giving them money.
“Now, I admit, I have let some of my guys use me, somewhat, to get where they want to go in life. 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. I don’t consider anyone in my crew hangers-on, people who just take things from you. There was an article in Sports Illustrated once that kind of made fun of them, calling them “The Men of Unclear Purpose.” It made it look like these cats were riding around with me, doing nothing with their lives.”
He explained that the movie ‘Scarface’ starred by Al Pacino served as a major inspiration for him and his group of friends. They had a motto similar to Tony Montana in the movie, which connected them even more.
“You can’t have people jeopardizing your empire. My crew would never do that. Most of them have a tattoo with the initials “T.W.I.S.M” on it. It’s almost like a fraternity thing. It stands for “The World Is Mine.” This is going to sound kind of silly, but I got the idea after watching Scarface in college. Tony Montana, the character played by Al Pacino, had that great, big globe of the world. On it was the message: “The world is ours.”
Fortunately, Shaq’s assistance helped these people and they enjoy a level of success that not many others have. This is another proof of how great O’Neal is as a person. He won’t hesitate to help others, no matter where he is. This has been a common practice for him and he doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
