Shaq Opened His Wallet So His Mom Could Sit With John Legend and Jennifer Hudson
Shaquille O'Neal gets a kiss on the cheek from his mother, Lucille.
Shaquille O'Neal would do anything for his mother, including emptying his wallet.
The basketball star forked over a whopping $20,000 on Saturday, Oct. 7, just so his mom, Lucille O'Neal, could sit on stage during the performance portion of The Event—Shaq's annual gala held to raise money for The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation, which provides resources and opportunities for underserved youth.
As part of the live auction at the third annual event, the NFL legend made sure to set an example for attendees when he made the generous bid, earning Lucille a spot front and center, according to People.
“Come up here momma,” the 51-year-old called on her as a singular table was set up on stage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where musicians like Jennifer Hudson, Dan+Shay, John Legend and Anderson Paak donated their time and talents for a star performance lineup.
But Shaq wasn't done, bringing his grand total for the evening up to $70k when he won a vacation to Bora Bora. According to the publication, additional lots up for auction included a chance to hang out at his home with Shaq himself, a round of golf with Mark Wahlberg, and the opportunity to attend a soccer game with David Beckham.
The total earnings for this year have not been announced yet, but the first event in 2021 raked in $2.9 million, while the following year brought in $3.15 million.
Shaq's generous nature should come as no surprise; he's been known to spend money on fans on multiple occasions, recently purchasing a washer and dryer set for a mother and daughter shopping at Home Depot and helping a teenager with a difficult-to-find shoe size out by sending him several pairs of custom shoes.
Next: Shaquille O'Neal Explains What Led to His 55-Pound Weight Loss
