Shaquille O’Neal has his flaws, but he is a man with a big heart, and that was on display once again recently. O’Neal spotted a clip on Instagram of six-year-old martial artist Nalah Barry and was so impressed by her that he flew the entire family to New York City and offered her a shoe deal.
“I’m about to offer this little girl her own shoe deal,” O’Neal said. “… So, I’m on Instagram all the time, and you, you’re a great daddy. I was watching her story, and I just kept watching it. I kept watching, saw your story. So, then I was like, I want to support, so you told me how much you need.
“So, Galaxy is gonna give you 10,000, I’m gonna give you 10,000,” O’Neal stated. “And then I owe you [father] five for the knockout. We just wanted to bring you here today, give your baby some gifts… I don’t want nothing. I want you to keep winning. I’m happy for you, okay? And we’re going to give you your own shoe.”
According to Barry’s father, Dominic, she’s a five-time gold medalist and a grey belt. He believes she will be a UFC star in the future, and you can check her out in action in the clip below.
Barry certainly is skilled, and some big names have taken notice. O’Neal had seemingly reached out to Dominic a couple of weeks ago, asking to be a sponsor for the child. He told the basketball icon that reposting her videos and showing up to one of her events would be enough, but he insisted on doing more.
This was a great gesture and will help Barry on her journey. She’s not the only child in the family making waves, either, as her younger sister Nayah appears to be talented as well.
Dominic, a professional boxer, has been training the children, and his methods seem to be working well. Here’s hoping they get to the very top.
Getting back to O’Neal, these kinds of gestures are nothing new. The 53-year-old donated sneakers to 2,000 kids in need back in May and routinely helps out those far less fortunate than him.
O’Neal, a Hall of Famer, earned $286 million in salaries in his NBA career, according to Spotrac. We have heard about players squandering their wealth post-retirement, but he doesn’t fall into that category. O’Neal’s business empire continues to flourish, and he now has a net worth of $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
