Mike Epps recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live show, where he talked opened up on different things. During the show, the comedian even shed light on Shaquille O’Neal and his relationship with the big man. The 53-year-old candidly detailed the 4x champion’s generosity and general nonchalance while shedding light on the latter’s character.
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The conversation initially circled Epps’ inclination toward donating cash to strangers. He admitted to donating even as much as $500 in the past, putting under the limelight his charitable nature. The two then went on bring Shaq in the conversation as the former NBA star has similar endeavors.
Shedding light on his friendship with the NBA icon, Epps praised the Diesel while applauding his approachable personality.
“Shaq is a generous dude. Shaq is one of those guys, you can talk about him because most NBA players, athletes, they don’t like you talking about them…But Shaq…he wanna hear it over again”.
This extended the narrative around the kind-hearted nature of the Big Aristotle. Despite reaching the pinnacle of fame, the 52-year-old has refused to let his ego and success drive his character. After all, his upbringing remained a key deciding factor behind his approach.
How did Shaquille O’Neal learn generosity?
Phillip A. Harrison, the late stepfather of O’Neal, played a major part in evolving his character. The former army man led by example as Shaq followed in his father figure’s footsteps. One such instance resurfaced during Diesel’s interview with Graham Bensinger as the 2000 MVP shed light on the intricate details.
“He is a big fella, he gets six double cheese…He sees a homeless guy in some army fatigued. He is talking to that guy and he recognized the platoon that guy was from…The guy was down on his luck and my father had like five double cheeseburgers left. My father had $20…So he gives the guy the food…He just looks and said, ‘If you ever it big time, make sure you help those in need'”.
It captured how Shaq had carried such values since his childhood. Interestingly, those remained intact throughout his life, capturing his ability to appreciate the best in people. This makes the Big Aristotle larger than NBA while highlighting his status as a role model for life.
