Shaquille O’Neal’s 2 Childhood Struggles Inspired $1000 Gift For 16YO In Need

Whenever Shaquille O’Neal gets the wind of someone in need, he steps up to make sure they are taken care of. From paying for a stranger’s engagement ring to feeding homeless people, the 51-year-old is one of the most generous people out there. Coming from humble beginnings, O’Neal can relate to the struggle of others. He has never hidden the fact that his parents had to put in a lot of effort simply finding fitting shoes for him when he was a child. However, today as he stands as the President of Basketball for Reebok, he is making changes in the brand with his shoe philosophy. Following the same, he recently sent some gifts to a teenager who needed large sneakers.

While the teen’s mother did raise $11,000 with GoFundMe, it was another aspect of the whole experience that Jor’el Bolden of Missouri liked the most. Nevertheless, he was still humble about the entire incident.

Shaquille O’Neal has got Missouri teen covered

The 16-year-old Missouri teen named Jor’el Bolden was struggling to find sneakers that fit him. So he sent him several apparel that included 20 pairs of 23-size shoes, some new clothes, and some personal items from his own closet. Thanking Shaq, Jor’el said, “Thank you for taking the time and the money that you have earned to give it to me when I needed it.”

Now, the GoFundMe money that Bolden’s mother raised can help him later as he grows further. It has reportedly raised more than $11,000 already.

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Shaq is no stranger to the complications that being bigger than the normal sizes can bring. On top of that, the high price points of custom shoes can only add to the whole situation. But Shaquille O’Neal wanted to be the angel for another teen, just like he once had.

The story of Shaquille O’Neal and Bruce Teilhaber

While today he is a big part of one of the mogul athleisure brands out there, he still only wears shoes crafted by Bruce. The story goes back to when the Friedman’s shoes’ co-owner bet on Shaquille O’Neal. Apparently, as a teenager when the 4x champion couldn’t find the right shoes, his father reached out to Bruce. Without a second thought, making changes in the brand with his shoe philosophy. From then to now, we can still see O’Neal in his footwear.

It is very delightful when a legend like Shaquille O’Neal owes his loyalty to his shoe company. It is even more enchanting when someone as popular as Shaq tries to bring a smile to a teen’s face. Undeniably, this former LA Lakers center knows how to win hearts. What are your thoughts on Shaq’s huge gesture?

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