Shaquille Gets (and Gives) Another Ring

Shaquille O’Neal, the 7’1” basketball great, has four championship rings. At Zales last week, he helped a stranger procure yet another ring, this time one for a proposal.

The stranger had bought an engagement ring on layaway and was coming in to make a payment. Shaq retold the event to his fellow analysts on NBA on TNT, “I was in Zales, looking for some loop earings…I seen the guy coming in. He was just so shy. He was saying, ‘Hey, how much do I owe to pay off my ring?” He continued, “He was a young kid, hardworking guy.” O’Neal then asked how much the ring was. When the man replied, O’Neal said, “You know what? Tell your girlfriend I got it. Take care of her.” O’Neal then gave his credit card to the employee helping the young man and proceeded to paid for the ring. The man was unwilling to let O’Neal pay the ring off but O’Neal replied, “Don’t worry about it. I do it all the time. I’m just trying to make people smile. That’s all.” It is safe to say that Shaquille made this man more than happy.

O’Neal truly does try to do something everyday to make people smile. That same week, he paid for the furniture that a lady and her autistic daughter were buying. He simply stated that he is “into making people happy.” Whenever he leaves the house, he just tries to do a good deed. He does not act in this way for the recognition and had no intention of his actions getting out. He stated, “I don’t do it for that.” It is likely if the video of the incident did not end up on social media, nobody else would have known. Shaquille has been known to engage in random acts of kindness constantly. To him, it is easy to make people’s days. What he may not realize, however, is the effect that his compassion and generosity has on others. To him, it may just be a ring or a couch, but to others, it represents so much more. He is perpetuating the cycle of being kind to others just for the sake of being kind. And if there is anything this world needs more of, it’s just that.