When a pair of complete strangers expressed their condolences to Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA legend decided to thank them for their kindness with a gift.
The heartwarming incident took place last week when Patrick Martin was shopping at a Best Buy in McDonough, Georgia—and to his surprise, he also spotted Shaq in a nearby aisle.
Martin then took it upon himself to approach Shaq and offer his condolences not only for the recent death of Shaq’s friend and former teammate Kobe Bryant, but also Shaq’s sister Ayesha Harrison-Jex who passed away in October following a battle with cancer.
Though Martin may not have thought much of the deed, he was soon rejoined by the former Lakers player.
“We walked off, then Shaq comes to us and says, ‘I like y’all, so get the nicest one in here and I’ll pay for it,’” recalls Martin.
True to his word, Shaq bought Martin a brand new Microsoft Surface Laptop.
Since Martin shared the story to social media, it has been shared thousands of times by appreciative fans.
Although this is not the first time that Shaq has been hailed for a random act of kindness towards a fan, this particular story has touched the hearts of Lakers fans since Bryant passed away in January. Additionally, Shaq donated all the proceeds generated from his Super Bowl party in Miami this weekend to the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation as well as the families of the helicopter crash victims.
Shaq says that he had been contemplating canceling the event after he was left reeling from the death of Bryant, who played alongside him for three of his NBA titles.
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“Been going back and forth the past couple of days on if I should even have my event in Miami this weekend,” Shaq wrote on Instagram last week. “Part of me wanted to stay to myself as I reflect what my brother and his family mean to me and my family. But in thinking what would Kobe want, what would he do? Kobe would want us to push through and celebrate life. So let’s do just that.
“I’ll be dedicating and donating all my proceeds from Friday nights Fun House to all the families who lost loved ones and to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation,” he concluded. “Together we will celebrate all those who lost their lives in Sunday tragedy. RIP my brother, my friend and my homie, The Black Mamba. Until we meet again.”
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