As tough as Shaquille O’Neal was during his playing days in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers legend is quite the opposite in his demeanor while he is off the court. Since retiring from the league, fans see him either joking around or helping out disadvantaged communities as much as he can. Adding to the list of stories on this theme, O’Neal recently explained what he does every time he goes to a McDonald’s, along with the reasoning behind his grand gesture.
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Shaquille O’Neal just went on to give the world a refresher course in moral science while making an appearance on a podcast. During the episode, O’Neal talked about his appreciation for people who do their jobs without receiving even a single shred of positive acknowledgment for days.
“When I go to McDonald’s and order food for me and my fat friends, and the kids bring it. I’ll give them a $200 tip. I’m not about to go in there and cook it and do it. You’re doing that for me? Appreciate you big homie, thank you.”
The four-time NBA champion mentioned that the demeanor displayed above is what the world needs more of, instead of self-centeredness and narcissistic tendencies over one’s own accomplishments.
“When you see Shaq, you’re gonna see him, by himself. He ain’t gon be in no entourage, he’s not gonna be disrespectful, he ain’t gon be throwing people around. When I go to the restaurant with my boys, they’re amazed that I don’t skip the line…Because these people right here make this world go around, not me.”
Coming from humble beginnings, Shaquille O’Neal was raised with certain values that he etched onto himself for the rest of his life. Fame and money tend to change people and the world gets a new reminder of it every other day, but not Shaq. Despite building an empire with a net worth of $500 million [per Celebrity Net Worth], O’Neal always practices humility above all else. Regardless of age or gender, the Hall of Famer has always made sure to treat everyone with immense respect. And that does play a part in why the world loves Superman so much.
Shaquille O’Neal does the best he can wherever he goes
Just like any other human being, Shaquille O’Neal has made his fair share of mistakes over the years. Sitting on a mountain of wisdom, Shaq built that with every rock and stone he fumbled or tripped upon to not make the same mistakes he did in the past.
“Everybody makes mistakes…I just try to be as respectful and righteous as I can. Times are different…I’m all about people and respecting people, so I just try to respect you as much as possible…All I want to do is make people laugh, similar to you. All I want to do is help those in need and all I want to do is show children the right way to get it done.”
Shaquille O’Neal came from a middle-class background that was enough to teach him the value of money. And despite making big bucks in the league, O’Neal stayed true to his roots, being financially savvy with his expenditures, going all the way down to a $99 camera, that managed to catch even Amin Elhassan off guard.
The gentle giant has always appreciated a hardworking citizen and believes in rewarding those who put the work in. And fast food workers, who give their best, almost every second of the day for thousands of people, seem to have a soft spot in O’Neal’s heart.
While $4000 isn’t much to the NBA legend who has amassed his wealth in hundreds of millions; Shaq knew the impact it would have on that waiter, along with providing him a much-needed push we all need from time to time.
