“I Didn’t Follow the Proper Procedures”: Shaquille O’Neal Once Demanded $50 LSU Deposit Upon Meeting College Pal After Years

A star at LSU, Shaquille O’Neal knew he was going to make it big one day. But that did not grant him any special treatment or excuse him from the rules and regulations of the University. Back in 2011, Shaq recalled an incident during his time in college when he had to demand $50 from his college friend, Bo Bahnsen.

During Shaquille O’Neal’s time at LSU, every student had to submit a security deposit while enrolling. The security deposit would be returned to the student at the time of their graduation. But Shaq never got his security deposit from LSU.

Shaq ended up going off the college campus without telling anyone. The procedure to go off campus required O’Neal to inform someone of his absence from the college premises.  And since Shaq chose not to inform anyone, his friend Bo Bahnsen decided to confiscate his security deposit and did not return it. 

“Because I left campus without telling anyone, I didn’t follow the “proper procedures” of withdrawal from LSU. As a result, my pal Bo Bahnsen confiscated my deposit. All these years later, the first thing I say when I see him is, “Yo, Bo. Where’s my fifty dollars?”: From Shaq Uncut

Whether Shaquille O’Neal’s friend Bo Bahnsen had the credentials or authority to confiscate Shaq’s security deposit or not was not revealed. But given that the two were friends, it is a safe assumption that Shaq’s friend may have taken advantage of his nature.

But even after years of that incident taking place and Shaq going on to win millions, he has still not forgotten about his $50 and is still waiting for his friend to pay him back. Unfortunately for him though, that is very unlikely to happen.

Shaquille O’Neal’s time at LSU

Shaquille O’Neal often spoke highly of his time at LSU. Even though Shaq never got to see his security deposit, he was happy during his college years. The NBA legend had once revealed that the University allowed jobs that would pay well over $15 per hour.

Not only did Shaq have financial freedom, but he got to meet his mother plenty of times during his time at LSU, despite her mother’s house being a six-hour drive from LSU.

Even though his mother’s house was a bit far, the money he earned through community work helped Shaq buy plane tickets that were quite cheap back then. And not to mention his relationship with his coach, Dale Brown.

“Dale Brown was an excellent coach and an even better person. He’s one of my best friends in the world. He stuck up for me a hundred different times.”

In his memoir, Shaq has often spoken of Dale Brown during his time at LSU and the role he played in his life back then. And how much Shaq liked being at LSU due to playing under Dale Brown too.