Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most affluent basketball players of all time. The big man was the biggest star in basketball and was paid accordingly too. Career earnings to the tune of $286 million over 19 seasons tell the story of Shaq’s riches.
Advertisement
Further, Superman’s investments further raised his wealth closer to $400 million. The former center is a regular feature in the rich lists among athletes as a whole too as a result.
Still, on top of his fortunes, it seems that O’Neal was also a beneficiary of per diem grants from the Los Angeles Lakers too. As a Laker, O’Neal was due to get $930 a day for his daily expenses in addition to the humongous cheque he received from the LA outfit.
And the big man realized his privilege and was really generous with his per diem money in particular. A particular str*pper, in particular, stood to gain from it once, according to John Salley.
John Salley revealed how a str*pper told him about “kicking it with Shaq”.
Salley, a former teammate of Shaquille O’Neal’s was well aware of the per diem theme with O’Neal. When a conversation with a str*pper shed light on a Shaq story, Salley knew how to fill in the details to get the whole story.
“I’m playing for the Lakers, and they give us like per diem, $930 or whatever. They still gotta give Shaq one. Shaq has not cashed any of his NBA checks. So they’re gonna give Shaq a yellow envelope with $930. Guy makes $300,000 per game at this time. So this girl was talking, I’m now doing Best Dam Sports Show, and I go, ‘Oh, you kicked it with Shaq. Yeah, I’ll tell you right now, boom, came up to me, here go $900, go shopping. I go, ‘$930.’ “described Salley of his interaction with the str*pper acquainted with Shaq.
“He gave you per diem. He gave you Lakers per diem money. I think it was this stripper chick bragging about she got a G. No, you got $930. He cares nothing about it” describes the former NBA champion about his revelation about the amount the str*pper stood to gain.
A close to $1000 per diem sum was throwaway money for O’Neal. And on this instance, the str*pper was the beneficiary of Superman’s generosity.
The big man has earned quite a reputation with his big tips and acts of supreme kindness. Giving back to the community is definitely something the former NBA MVP believes sternly in.
Shaq engages himself in multiple organized charitable activities on a regular basis.
The Inside the NBA host finds himself involved in numerous charitable ventures including his very own Shaq-a-Claus event and The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation. The Shaq-a-Claus event, for instance, has been around for well over 2 decades too, making it clear that charity was something the big man took interest in early on in his career even.
The Shaquille O’Neal Boys and Girls Club and the Shaq-to-School programs to aid youngsters are also steps taken by the former NBA champ to help the community. Black-owned businesses have also benefitted considerably from Shaq’s financial assistance.
The gentle giant has certainly made sure his legacy isn’t restricted to just basketball and entertainment. Dr. Shaquille O’Neal is in all likelihood, set to be remembered as a champion of his community for years to come. A greater legacy than what your everyday NBA player aspires to have.
Also read: WATCH: Adorable Video of Shaquille O’Neal Granting Young Fan’s Wish Goes Viral
