Shaquille O’Neal Surprises Teens In Florida With A Game Of Hoops [Video]
Shaquille O’Neal made a surprise visit to a group of teenagers in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday. The former NBA superstar unexpectedly showed up in a neighborhood to play basketball with some kids.
O’Neal was inspired to come to the Florida neighborhood by an incident with the teenagers that happened a little over a week ago.
On January 15, Gainesville Police Department received a call about some teenagers in the neighborhood playing basketball too loudly. When officer Bobby White showed up, instead of breaking up the game, the officer decided to join in.
“Glad to see you all doing this and not out there starting trouble,” he says.
A video of the game caught on the White’s patrol car dashcam went viral and has been viewed millions of times.
http://www.facebook.com/GainesvillePolice/videos/10153223739347015
The video shows White dribbling and shooting the ball despite being weighed down with equipment, even throwing a one-handed slam dunk. The video included a message from the GPD.
“So…if you call GPD to complain about kids being kids… This is how Officer White is going to handle it. We’re going to let kids be kids. We are going to focus on the ones that commit crimes. #HoopsNotCrime”
Before leaving, the teens Officer White promised to “bring backup” next time. The officer made good on his promise by returning on Saturday. However, no one expected backup like this.
Photos | Shaq surprises Gainesville PD, plays basketball with community: https://t.co/paanu4z4nu pic.twitter.com/rTH5kbQlM0
— First Coast News (@FCN2go) January 23, 2016
“Told you I was gonna bring some backup, right? You guys ready?” White asks the kids while pointing at fellow officers. “Look at these big guys I brought. You sure you can take them?”
The kids got a real Shaq attack when Shaquille O’ Neal stepped out of a black SUV, removed his pullover and announced, “I’m about to bust y’all up.”
Everyone shouted and clapped as Shaq jumped into the game along with the teens and local police. Afterward, he led the kids in a chant, “I will become whatever I wanna be. I will be a leader and not a follower.”
Nicknamed Shaq, Shaquille O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey. At 7 ft. 1 in. tall and weighing 325 pounds, he is considered one of the largest and most dominant basketball players in NBA history.
After playing for Louisiana State University, O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992. He quickly gained recognition in the league, winning Rookie of the Year in 1992-93, and helping the team get into the 1995 NBA finals.
Later, O’Neal signed with the Los Angeles Lakers and won championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. He won his fourth NBA championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat. Between 2007 and 2011, Shaq played for various teams including the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics.
O’Neal has appeared in numerous movies and television shows, as well as video games. Along with other NBA stars Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, The Big Cactus is currently an analyst on Inside The NBA.
Helping and encouraging kids should come as no surprise. O’Neal is the national spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club of America and has participated in several fundraising campaigns for the non-profit over the last 15 years.
O’Neal hoped to keep his Florida appearance as low-key as possible according to Fox News. GPD’s public information officer Ben Tobias received a call from the NBA all-star to request the event be kept quiet.
“I became a cop to help people, and these kids will never forget the day Shaq rolled up to their neighborhood and played basketball with them,” Tobias said. “Without my choice to keep it a secret, I’m not sure this day would have transpired like it did.”
While Shaquille O’Neal and Gainesville officers played the game in front of mesmerized neighbors, no one called the police to complain about the noise this time.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
