Big Shack had built his business from the ground up. Born into modest beginnings, he had never known privilege, only the struggle for success. Decades of hard work, determination, and smart decisions had turned his small startup into one of the leading banks in the country. From a humble college student rejected time and time again to the man whose name was now known in the financial world, Big Shack had seen it all.
However, as of late, a gnawing feeling had started to plague him. He was hearing rumors about his bank—rumors of customers being treated unfairly, of their complaints being ignored. Big Shack knew the importance of customer service and had always prided himself on his company’s reputation. So, he decided to do something bold: go undercover. No cameras, no special treatment—just him and his employees in their most honest form.
Big Shack entered his closet one morning, his hand hovering over the tailored suits, the silk ties, and the polished shoes that he usually wore. Today, though, he chose something different. He pulled out an old navy polo shirt and a pair of worn jeans. Nothing about this outfit screamed CEO—no designer labels, no symbols of power. He left his Rolex on the nightstand and slipped into a pair of well-worn sneakers. This would be his disguise—a regular customer.
He called a cab, avoiding his usual private driver, and made his way to one of the branches. The city of Chicago bustled outside with businessmen rushing to meetings and tourists snapping photos. But inside the cab, Big Shack’s mind raced. Would this be worth it? Would he find what he feared, or would the complaints turn out to be isolated incidents?
The cab pulled up to the bank—a modern glass building nestled between a cafe and an insurance office. Big Shack paid the driver, took a deep breath, and stepped out. As he walked through the glass doors, he was greeted by the familiar scent of freshly printed receipts and cleaning supplies. But the feeling in the air was different—it was cold, impersonal.
Big Shack took a few steps inside and surveyed the scene. A handful of customers sat at desks or waited in line. Posters on the walls promoted various investment options and savings plans. Big Shack paused for a moment. Not a single employee acknowledged him. At first, he thought it was just his imagination. Maybe they were busy. But as he glanced over at the receptionist—a middle-aged woman with glasses who was typing away on her computer—nothing changed. She didn’t look up.
Then another customer, a man in a sharp suit, entered. Immediately, the receptionist’s demeanor changed. She straightened up, smiled, and greeted him warmly. Big Shack felt his stomach churn as he watched the man being directed to a teller almost immediately. He clenched his jaw but forced himself to remain calm. Was this just a fluke? Maybe the receptionist was distracted.
Big Shack decided to test the waters further. He approached a young teller who was finishing up with a customer. He waited patiently, hands in his pockets. A well-dressed couple at the next counter was being treated with full attention, smiles, and detailed explanations. When it was Big Shack’s turn, the teller barely glanced up from her computer screen.
“What do you need?” she asked with a disinterested tone.
Big Shack gave her a polite smile. “I’d like to open a new high-value account.”
The teller sighed, clearly irritated. “You need an appointment for that,” she responded, still not looking at him.
Big Shack frowned. “I checked your website. It said walk-ins are welcome for new accounts.”
The teller barely glanced at him. “Yeah, well, not for those kinds of accounts.”
Big Shack looked at another customer at the next counter. The teller there was smiling, patiently walking him through various account options. Big Shack turned back to the teller. “So, just to be clear—if I looked different, dressed differently, you’d be treating me differently right now, wouldn’t you?”
The teller blinked, her expression tightening. “That’s not what I said.”
Big Shack tilted his head. “It’s what you’re doing.”
She exhaled sharply, clearly annoyed. “Maybe another branch would be better for what you’re looking for.”
Big Shack’s frustration grew, but he wasn’t here to lash out. He needed answers. He needed to understand what was happening in his own company. Taking a deep breath, he decided to play along. “Alright,” he said, his voice calm. “Maybe I just need some information. Can you tell me about your business account options?”
The teller sighed again. Without a word, she reached under the counter and pulled out a crumpled brochure. She slid it across the counter with little enthusiasm. Big Shack picked it up, flipped through it, and already knew the content by heart. But that wasn’t the point.
Across the room, another customer—a well-dressed older man—approached a different teller and asked the exact same question. The response was night and day. The teller leaned forward, smiling, explaining the options in detail. Big Shack felt a surge of frustration but kept his composure.
“Is there someone I can speak with about account recommendations?”
The teller’s lips pressed into a thin line. “That would be the branch manager,” she said flatly.
Big Shack nodded. “Great. I’d like to speak with him.”
She hesitated, then with a small smirk, said, “He’s busy.”
Big Shack raised an eyebrow. “Did you check?”
The teller didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to the next customer in line, effectively dismissing him. Big Shack stood there for a moment, a growing sense of disbelief washing over him. It wasn’t just bad service. It was intentional.
But Big Shack wasn’t leaving yet. Not until he understood what was going on. He walked past the teller and headed towards the back of the branch where the manager’s office was. The door was slightly ajar, and through the glass, he saw the manager—an older man in a gray suit—sipping coffee while scrolling through his phone.
Big Shack knocked lightly on the frame. The manager barely glanced up. “Can I help you?”
“Yes,” Big Shack said. “I was told I need an appointment to open a high-value account, but I just watched two other customers get full service with no issues.”
The manager finally looked up, his gaze flickering over Big Shack’s plain attire, the worn sneakers, the lack of designer labels. His expression shifted into a polite but firm smile—the kind that said, I’d rather not deal with you right now.
“If you’d like to apply for an account,” the manager said smoothly, “I suggest you try one of our other branches.”
Big Shack took a slow breath. “Why would I need to go to another branch when I’m already at one of my own?”
The manager’s expression didn’t change. He paused.
Big Shack reached into his pocket and pulled out his executive ID. He placed it on the manager’s desk.
The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. The manager’s face went pale.
“Mr. Big Shack.”
Big Shack tilted his head. “I didn’t realize,” he said, his voice cold, “you didn’t realize what?”
Shaquille O’Neal on His Love for Helping Others in Need and Making a Stranger’s Day Brighter
“If I’m somewhere and see somebody’s needing something, I’ll take care of it,” Shaq tells PEOPLE
Not only does his hilarious sports commentary go viral, but Shaquille O’Neal’s generosity has also become widely revered.
Whether it’s paying for a fan’s engagement ring or buying a laptop for a stranger who expressed sympathy, O’Neal has earned a reputation for helping others when no one is looking — and the retired NBA Hall of Famer is not one to brag about it as news of these acts of kindness is most often made public by the recipients.
“A lot of people describe it as giving back. I describe it as doing what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to help those in need,” O’Neal, 49, tells PEOPLE. “If I’m somewhere and see somebody’s needing something, I’ll take care of it. My favorite places to go to are Best Buy and furniture stores.”
The father of five, widely known for his dominance on the basketball court, says he’s only trying to make his mother proud by living his life in accordance with her sage advice.
“I just always try to continue to do the right thing and just lead by example. I’m all about brightening up people’s day,” O’Neal shares. “I had a meeting with my mother, Dr. Lucille O’Neal, and she was like, ‘Baby, you’ve done everything I’ve asked you to do. I think you should go about every day just making somebody smile and making somebody happy.’ So I take pride in each and every day by just making one person smile, whether it’s one person or whether it’s a hundred people or whether it’s a thousand people.”
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Shaquille O’Neal. Rich Fury/Getty
Since his playing days in the league as well as retirement in 2011, the four-time NBA champion has touted many endorsement deals and sponsorships. Lately, he’s become more of an entrepreneur with the same mission to help others in need.
“My motto’s always been, ‘It could be worse.’ A lot of people are going through a lot of tough times. I want to be the guy to make them smile,” he shares. “Because for me, when I smile, things start to break down and I start to get back on track. I just want to help people get back on track.”
As a Papa John’s board member and franchise owner, O’Neal first conceived the idea for the charitable Shaq-a-roni, a 16-inch extra-large pizza topped with extra cheese and has 66 pepperonis that is cut into eight slices instead of the company’s standard 10 in an extra-large order. In its second iteration, Papa John’s will donate $1 for every Shaq-a-Roni pizza sold until Oct. 24 to The Papa John’s Foundation to support communities and will donate $250,000 to United Negro College Fund, $500,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs, and $10,000 to Baltimore Hunger Project.
“Children are the future. I love children. I have children,” O’Neal says of why his philanthropy focuses on the next generation. “Children are innocent. They don’t know any better. They don’t go through things that we go through when it comes to paying bills and doing that. No child should wake up and not have anything to eat. No child should wake up and not have shoes or clothes on their feet. It’s our job as adults, it’s our job as people to always take care of the children, whether they’re ours or not.”
As for the advice he would impart on those wanting to follow in his charitable footsteps, O’Neal says “anything helps.”
“I would tell them first to figure out what their cause is and just follow the necessary steps. Just help those in need, whether it’s feeding a homeless person or donating old clothes or starting a food drive in the neighborhood,” he says. “Anything helps because the thing that hurt me last summer [during the COVID-19 pandemic] was turning on the news and seeing 40 million people losing their jobs. I haven’t felt pain like that in a long time. So I’m going to just do my part to try to get people, especially children, back on track.”
