We all love a wholesome celebrity-fan interaction. Shaquille O’Neal served us one such heartwarming moment not long ago. ‘Big Diesel’ is a big ol’ cuddly bear around kids and that showed when a young Los Angeles Lakers fan approached the NBA legend. The fan’s moment was nearly cut off. But not on Shaq’s watch! It didn’t even matter that the little kid may actually be a fan of LeBron.

O’Neal would do anything to make children smile. A few days ago, a video went viral of Shaq pretending to drown so a pack of kids could save him. Shaq and kids are a combination we love and want to see more of.

Shaquille O’Neal makes a little fan smile

Fan interactions can go wrong. But sometimes they bring out the wholesome side of our favorite celebrity. Kids have that effect on Shaquille O’Neal. A video is now doing the rounds of social media showing O’Neal’s simple but sweet gesture for a fan.

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O’Neal was at an event surrounded by his entourage and fans. That’s when a little kid in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey walked up to him and, unprompted, hugged Shaq. The kid could only bring himself up to the 7’1″ giant’s legs, which took O’Neal by surprise.

But security is always the enemy during these moments. One security staff politely separated the boy from his celebrity charge and ushered him back to his guardians before Shaq could react.

The adults with the boy can be heard hollering off-camera, “Shaq, please one photo with him. He’s your fan.” Interestingly, the boy was wearing a No.23 Lakers jersey. O’Neal wore No.34 with the Lakers. It’s LeBron James who went back to No. 23 recently.

That meant nothing to Shaq. ‘Big Diesel’ couldn’t stand a disappointed fan. So he snubbed the security and invited the boy back. He even posed with the kid long enough for his parents to get a picture.

When the video made it online, fans were touched by the gesture. It rightfully comes with the caption, “Shaq is a real one.” Fans have been praising Shaq in reactions to the video everywhere. Some witty ones are making jokes on the security staff.

Children have a special place in Shaq’s heart

This is not the first time that ‘Big-Hearted Diesel’ made a kid’s day. Last year, he was in Abu Dhabi for a pre-season game when another young boy approached him for a handshake. No security interrupted this time, but Shaq turned down the handshake. Instead, he pulled the boy in for a big bear hug. The smile he put on the boy’s face was a viral topic for days.

Doting on children comes naturally to the multi-millionaire. Some time ago, he shared a post about fathers who’d do anything for their children.

A dad of six kids, O’Neal strikes a balance between tough love and spoiling them. His children aren’t going to use his fame to get ahead in life and they are blazing ahead independent of their famous father. But that doesn’t stop Shaq from caring for them, ever.

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