NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal is in the news for buying an engagement ring. Shaq, as he is popularly known, did not make the purchase for himself. Instead, the basketball star paid for a stranger's engagement ring at a mall in Atlanta. Shaq was caught on camera making the generous buy at a store. The video of the incident is now going viral and has the Internet praising him.
In the clip, shared by a user on Instagram, Shaquille O'Neal can be seen walking up to a cashier who is interacting with a customer trying to purchase a ring. He gives the cashier his credit card and takes the man by surprise. He then goes on to shake hands with the man and congratulates him.
Speaking about the incident on NBA with TNT, Shaq said, "This happened yesterday. I was in Zales looking for some new earrings, and I saw a guy. He was just so shy. He was saying, 'Hey, how much do I owe to pay off the ring?'"
Describing the customer to be a "young kid" and "a hardworking guy", Shaquille O'Neal told his co-hosts, "I said, 'You know what, tell your girlfriend I got it. Take care of her.' And at first, he didn't want to take it. But I told him not to worry. I do it all the time."
Fans were moved by the kindness. Reacting to the Instagram clip, one of them wrote, "Shaq, I love u man. So generous, cool, a good dad, DJ, commentator, sheriff".
Another fan wrote, "Awww. The real superman! I love how you whipped it!"
The former Los Angeles Lakers star shared that he often indulges in such acts of generosity. He said that during a recent furniture shopping trip with his mother he offered to pay for a woman with an autistic daughter. "I'm into making people happy. So, whenever I leave the house, I just try to do a good deed," he said.
