Shaquille O’Neal Gets a Sketch From a Prisoner—What He Does Next Leaves Everyone in Tears
This is the story of a quiet sketch, a broken mirror, and the boy who never expected to be seen. When Shaquille O’Neal receives a mysterious letter from a young man in prison—accompanied by a haunting drawing—it sets off a powerful journey of reflection, healing, and hope. What unfolds next is a testament to how one small act of presence can change everything for someone who thought they were forgotten.
A letter arrived with no return address—just a sketch of a shattered mirror and five haunting words: You made me believe again. Shaq recognized the name. It was a boy he’d once mentored, now locked away. What Shaq discovered when he found him would change everything you think about redemption.
The folding chairs clattered softly as the last few boys shuffled out of the common room. Shaq remained behind for a moment, standing quietly near the front of the youth rehabilitation center’s multipurpose hall. The walls were scuffed, the lighting dim. A poster near the back read, “Your story isn’t over.” But the corner had curled, as if time itself had stopped believing.
Shaq had just finished speaking, but it wasn’t a speech. Not in places like this. He talked about presence, about stillness, about how sometimes the most powerful thing someone can do is sit beside you and not leave. His voice was deep, gentle, and real. He told the room about a boy who used to run from everything until he ran straight into someone who stayed. He didn’t say who the boy was. He didn’t need to.
Afterward, a boy named Devonte came up—seventeen, maybe eighteen, tall and guarded. “You mean that stuff?” he asked about not needing to be fixed. Shaq nodded. “Sometimes being seen is more important than being changed.” Devonte gave a short laugh. “That’s wild, man.” Then he walked off, but slower, like something had shifted.
Shaq gathered his things and stepped outside into the cool night air. He was heading toward his car when a security guard jogged up, holding a package. “Mr. O’Neal, someone left this for you after the talk. Said it was important.” Shaq took it with a nod. It was light, wrapped in a plain manila envelope. He didn’t open it right away. He waited until he got home.
It was just past midnight when Shaq sat down at his kitchen table. The house was quiet—no music, no distractions, just the envelope resting like a quiet question in front of him. He made a cup of tea he never drank, just letting it steam on the counter as he turned the envelope over in his hands. Then he opened it.
Inside was a single folded sheet of art paper. The weight of it felt deliberate. Shaq unfolded it slowly. A drawing stared back at him—a mirror, broken. The cracks were detailed, etched with precision. Jagged edges fanned out across the frame, some still holding together by thin strands, others separated completely. In the background, darkness, heavy, smudged with charcoal. And written in shaky pencil beneath the fractured glass were just seven words: You made me believe I still mattered.
Shaq stared at it, unmoving. He wasn’t surprised by the drawing. What stopped him was the name in the corner— Liam Cruz . He remembered Liam: six months ago, he’d met him at a halfway program not far from downtown. Shaq had been doing volunteer outreach, sitting with youth who were in that strange place between punishment and possibility. Liam had been one of the quietest—seventeen, pale, with long black lashes and eyes that never looked up. He had said almost nothing, but he had drawn.
Shaq remembered the sketch Liam gave him after the second visit—a wolf behind a fence, staring through barbed wire. No explanation, just the picture. He had kept it in his drawer. Now this. There was no request for help, no plea—just a drawing and a sentence. And yet, Shaq felt the message was heavier than any call for aid, because it meant Liam hadn’t forgotten. And Shaq hadn’t either.
He sat in silence for a long time. The clock ticked. The tea grew cold. Outside, a single street lamp flickered against the pavement. Still, he didn’t move. His fingers traced the lines of the mirror in the drawing—not to analyze it, but to feel what had gone into it. The pressure of the pencil, the hesitation in the cracks, the space between what was broken and what was still holding on. It didn’t feel like closure. It felt like a whisper in the dark—a thread.
Threads aren’t left for nothing.
He picked up his phone and texted Sophia, the director of the youth program. Do you remember Liam Cruz? It was late, but Sophia was always awake when it mattered. She replied within minutes: Yes—the one who sketched wolves? Shaq sent her a photo of the drawing. He sent this. No return address. No message. Just this.
Are you okay? Sophia asked.
Shaq stared at the screen before responding. Yeah, but I don’t think he is. Can you find out where he is now? Quietly.
I’ll start now, Sophia texted.
Shaq turned the drawing over again—blank, just like the silence that follows when someone has spoken their truth and walked away. He thought about Liam—where he might be, why he sent this now, why it didn’t come with a plea. Maybe because the boy had already learned not to ask. Maybe because he was hoping someone would care enough to come without being called.
Shaq stood slowly, folded the drawing back up, and walked it to the small wooden box on his bookshelf where he kept only four things: a photograph of his sister, a folded letter from a soldier he once helped, a rosary from his mother, and now this. The sketch slid in like it had always belonged there.
You made me believe I still mattered.
It wasn’t a cry for help. It was something deeper. And Shaq wasn’t going to let the thread break. Not now. Not ever.
That’s how the story began. What followed was a journey through locked doors, forgotten files, and the quiet corners of the world where hope flickers but never quite goes out. Shaquille O’Neal didn’t show up to save. He showed up to see. And sometimes, that’s what changes everything.
‘She Killed Tom Brady.’ Shaq Wants To Be The Next Celebrity In The Hot Seat For A Roast, And He Knows Exactly What He Wants
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Credit: TNT
Whenever a celebrity announces a roast, it always becomes a must-watch event. Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady is the most recent big roast to date, with some of the biggest names in comedy and football joining him on stage. The football G.O.A.T. took some hard hits that received huge numbers on the streaming service. Now, Shaquille O’Neal has announced he wants a turn in the hot seat, but he has one non-negotiable request if he’s to commit to a comedy special.
The NBA legend has one major bucket list item to tick off this year, and it’s to get roasted. After watching The Roast of Tom Brady, Shaq told Page Six he knows exactly what he wants, and it’s the full brutal treatment. Therefore there’s one specific person he needs in attendance:
Me. Roast me. ‘Cause I don’t get sensitive. And that girl that killed Tom Brady — I want her. What’s her name?
The former NBA player is of course referring to Nikki Glaser and her work. The stand-up comic is fresh off hosting the Golden Globes, but she’s been making jokes at celebrities’ expense for a while now. The Comedy Central alum has a number of roasts under her belt, including the likes of Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Rob Lowe, and most famously, Tom Brady.
The legendary Patriots quarterback aired his roast live for those with Netflix subscriptions in 2024, and his guests did not hold back, especially Glaser. While she did feel a bit bad about some of her digs, her set also got a standing ovation from a crowd of over 10,000 people, so clearly she made the right decisions.
Glaser and other roasters even admitted to holding some jokes back, specifically regarding Brady’s young kids, although when it came to ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, there was little mercy for the former celebrity power couple. Perhaps the split was still a little too fresh for the NFL MVP, as he later stated he didn’t like the jokes that hurt his family.
However, O’Neal has given the Not Safe With Nikki Glaser comic full clearance when it comes to his personal life:
Nikki, you can say whatever you want about me, my mama, my kids. Let’s do it. Yeah, me. ‘Cause I don’t get sensitive. I like to laugh. I think Tom got a little [offended] with some of the jokes, but I can take it all.
Having watched all of Glaser’s roasts, I feel confident saying her set at The Roast of Tom Brady was not nearly as brutal as some of her past appearances. My girl runs head first into territory other people are scared to touch, and with such confidence, it’s almost always a slam dunk. Check out some of her greatest burns:
Perhaps Brady was a bit unprepared for what he had signed up for, and he was definitely new to the comedy space. The opposite is true for Shaq. Not only is the former Laker eager to get comically annihilated by Glaser, but hardly ever takes himself seriously. He’s famously been in a number of Adam Sandler movies, most notably Grown Ups 2, and he often pulls silly stunts and pranks on Inside The NBA.
The point I’m getting at is the 7’1’’ baller is no amateur to the comedy scene, and I completely support Shaq getting his own roast special with Nikki Glaser in attendance. While the FBoy Island host received some backlash for her Tom Brady set, I highly doubt that will stop her from stepping up to the plate in the future. No doubt the Sandman would also be invited to Shaq’s event, and I have a feeling it would be an all-star lineup through and through. If Netflix knows what’s good for them, the streamer will get this on their 2025 release schedule ASAP.
