Shaquille O’Neal may just be the most ferocious center in history. A vicious giant who showed no mercy to opponents or even teammates who crossed him. The Shaq Train was unstoppable. But there was another side to him. Shaq had a soft heart that felt deeply.
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Philip Harrison, Shaq’s stepfather, helped his son become a generous man. For Shaq, it was almost like strengthening an already kind heart. Harrison’s lessons became pillars of O’Neal’s personality.
Even as an NBA player, he remained generous and kind. Once, he even offered to pay a Lakers staff member money to stay with the team.
Shaquille O’Neal offered $20,000 to Tom Savage
Shaquille’s generosity knew no bounds. Once, a specially-abled woman needed a van, and O’Neal bought it for her when his Lakers teammates shied away from donating. For Shaq, helping someone in need was a heartwarming exercise.
In his book Three-Ring Circus, Jeff Pearlman wrote about an interaction between Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers’ Public Relations director. Thomas Savage had been offered a job by the WNBA. When the 7ft 1″ center came to know that Savage was considering the offer, he reached out to him.
Shaq asked Savage how much pay bump was on the table. Savage revealed it to be $20,000. O’Neal assured him that he would get him the $20,000 right now if he wanted to keep the job.
Pearlman: “An assistant public relations director named Tom Savage was offered a pay raise to work for the WNBA. When O’Neal heard the news, he approached Savage and said, “How much more are they giving you?” “About $20,000,” Savage said. “I’ve got the cash in my locker,” O’Neal said. “Stay and it’s yours.” Though touched, Savage left.”
O’Neal had a complicated personality
Shaq was a complex man. While he was this generous towards everyone, he was also a bully at the same time. Shaquille O’Neal was mean and rude towards people who got on his wrong side.
Whenever Shaq picked on someone, it was usually an unfair contest. Shaq was easily bigger and stronger than any athlete. He could dominate and rough up virtually the entire league and no one dared speak against him.
This was a man who bullied Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee to the point where they planned on beating him up. Fortunately, they were only joking and also slightly afraid of the Lakers legend. This mix of kind and ruthless is what made the legendary big man so entertaining to watch.
