It was a sweltering Tuesday evening in Atlanta when Sarah Matthews, a single mother, found herself standing at the gas pump, nervously watching the numbers tick upward. Her 12-year-old sedan’s gas gauge had been on empty for two days, and now, with her children waiting at her mother’s house after school, she had no choice but to put in $20. That was all she had left until payday on Friday.
With the summer heat pressing down on her, every second standing at the pump felt like a small eternity. Sarah wiped the sweat from her brow, trying to shake off the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Her mind raced through the financial realities she was constantly battling: overdue electricity bills, school supplies for her kids, and the unrelenting costs of raising two children on her own. Jaden, her eight-year-old son, needed new shoes for school, and Sophia, her six-year-old daughter, had asthma medication that wasn’t fully covered by insurance.
As Sarah finished fueling, she quickly replaced the nozzle, hoping that $20 would be enough to last until Friday. She walked toward the store to pay, trying to suppress the tears that had started to build in her eyes. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this, especially not a stranger. But as she reached the counter, a tear slipped down her cheek.
Embarrassed, she wiped it away quickly, muttering to herself that it had just been “one of those weeks.” It had been two years since her husband’s tragic accident, and every day since then had felt like a tightrope walk. She managed to smile at the cashier, a young man with kind eyes, as he took her money. “Rough day?” he asked, sensing her distress.
“Just one of those weeks,” she said, her voice shaky but determined to keep it together. But as she turned to leave, more tears fell, and she quickly tried to wipe them away.
That’s when Shaquille O’Neal, the former NBA superstar turned businessman, happened to enter the store. Shaq had stopped for gas while on his way to an event, and though he wasn’t wearing anything flashy, his towering 7’1” frame was impossible to miss. As Sarah fumbled with her wallet and continued to wipe away her tears, a large hand gently picked up something from the floor.
“I believe this is yours, ma’am,” came a deep, gentle voice. Sarah looked up, startled, to see Shaquille O’Neal standing before her. For a moment, she couldn’t process what was happening. It was the last thing she expected at that moment—the presence of a celebrity when all she wanted was to get through her day unnoticed.
“Thank you,” she managed, quickly taking the photo from him. It was a school picture of Jaden and Sophia, their smiling faces capturing a moment of happiness in an otherwise difficult life.
Shaq nodded, his eyes taking in her worn shoes, the name tag still pinned to her shirt from her day job, and the exhaustion written across her face. “Those your kids?” he asked casually, his voice warm and inviting.
Sarah nodded, a smile breaking through her tears. “Jaden’s eight and Sophia’s six.”
“They’re beautiful,” Shaq said. Then, after a brief pause, he added, “You know, my mom raised me by herself for a while. Toughest person I’ve ever known.”
The simple acknowledgment of her struggle hit Sarah harder than she expected. She straightened up, wiped away the last of her tears, and managed a genuine smile. “Thank you,” she said with more strength in her voice this time.
As Sarah turned to leave, Shaq spoke to the cashier in a low voice, but not so quietly that Sarah couldn’t hear. “I’d like to pay for whatever else the lady needs today.”
Sarah paused, surprised by the gesture. “Oh, that’s very kind, but I’m okay, really.”
“I insist,” Shaq said with a smile. “Consider it payment for brightening my day with that picture of your beautiful kids.”
There was something in the way he said it—his manner, his dignity, and respect—that made it impossible for Sarah to refuse. “Well, if you insist, just some milk and bread,” she said hesitantly.
Shaq smiled and nodded. “Take your time. Get what you need.”
As Sarah picked up a few necessities—milk, bread, fruit for the kids’ lunches, and chicken for dinner—she could hear Shaq chatting with the cashier and other customers, who were beginning to recognize him. There was no entourage, no fanfare—just Shaq, a man who happened to be famous, but who carried himself with the humility of someone who remembered where he came from.
When Sarah returned to the counter with her items, Shaq was finishing up paying for his own gas. He turned to her with that same warm smile. “Is that all you need?” he asked gently.
Sarah nodded, still feeling overwhelmed by his kindness. “Yes, thank you.”
As the cashier rang up her items, Shaq leaned down slightly, his voice quiet but kind. “You know,” he said, “everyone needs a helping hand sometimes, even the strongest people.”
His words hit Sarah in a way she hadn’t expected. For so long, she had carried everything on her own, believing that asking for help would make her weak. But Shaq’s words broke through that wall, and for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to let go of the burden.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “You have no idea what this means. Today, of all days.”
Shaq simply nodded, understanding in his eyes. But what Sarah didn’t know was that Shaq wasn’t finished. As they walked out to the parking lot, Shaq studied her car with a concerned expression.
“That tire is pretty worn down,” he said, pointing to the rear passenger side, where the tread was visibly thin. “The others don’t look much better.”
Sarah sighed and set her groceries down on the trunk. “I know. It’s on my list to get them fixed, but…” she trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence. They both knew what that list meant—a never-ending to-do list of things that needed attention but couldn’t be prioritized due to limited resources.
Shaq nodded, his face filled with understanding. He had seen that same look of resignation on his mother’s face when she had worked multiple jobs to provide for him and his siblings. “Mind if I ask what you do for work?” Shaq asked casually.
“I’m a receptionist at a dental office during the day,” Sarah replied, “and I clean office buildings three nights a week.”
Shaq crossed his arms thoughtfully. “Two jobs and raising kids alone? That’s impressive.”
His words weren’t empty flattery—they carried genuine respect, and Sarah felt something inside her shift. She had always thought her struggles were invisible to the world. But here, standing with Shaquille O’Neal, someone who truly understood, she felt seen for the first time in a long while.
“Some days are harder than others,” she admitted. “Today, the school called. Jaden needs new basketball shoes. His are falling apart, and they won’t let him participate in gym without proper footwear.”
Shaq’s eyes lit up. “Basketball shoes, huh? I might be able to help with that.”
Sarah immediately tensed. “That’s very kind, but we’ll manage.”
Shaq raised his hands in understanding. “I respect that, but I have a proposition that might work for both of us.” He pulled out his phone and began typing. “I’m hosting a youth basketball camp next weekend. We always need volunteers—parents to help with registration, water stations, that kind of thing. It’s paid, and all volunteers get a package that includes shoes.”
The offer was made so tactfully, so thoughtfully, that it didn’t feel like charity—it felt like an opportunity. “What do you think? You and Jaden might be interested?”
Tears pricked at Sarah’s eyes, but this time, they were tears of gratitude. “That would be wonderful,” she said, her voice catching.
Shaq smiled, typing something into his phone. “Great. What’s your number? I’ll have my assistant text you the details.”
Sarah gave him her number, and as they finished talking, Shaq reached into his wallet and handed her several hundred dollars. “One more thing,” he said, “consider this an advance on that volunteer work. My business manager would be furious if I didn’t handle the paperwork properly.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, her voice thick with emotion. “This means so much to me.”
As Shaq walked away, Sarah looked at her children, who were laughing and playing in the parking lot. She felt a shift in her heart, a sense of hope that she hadn’t felt in a long time. What started as a chance encounter at a gas station had turned into something life-changing—a reminder that sometimes, when life feels too heavy, someone just needs to see you and believe in you.
That day, Sarah Matthews walked away from the gas station with more than groceries. She walked away with a renewed sense of possibility, a gift that would change her family’s future forever.
Shaq, a memorable Mother’s Day gift and how Lucille’s giving mindset influenced him
Shaquille O’Neal has the means to provide his mother, Lucille, with just about anything he wants for a Mother’s Day gift.
When asked what his mom would say was a memorable Mother’s Day gift, O’Neal could have answered several ways. Something extravagant like a house or a vacation. Maybe a large sum of cash.
For O’Neal, who considers his mother the most influential person in his life, it was a simple gift.
“She would say the cutting board I got her years and years ago with the inscription ‘Lu’s Kitchen,’” O’Neal said. “It was one of the first Mother’s Day gifts I ever got her. Over the years, though, I have been fortunate to get her bigger gifts.”
A cutting board is more memorable than a car or a trip or money? O’Neal knew the kitchen utensil would be special because of their close bond. Lucille explained in a 2017 interview with Scoop B Radio why that cutting board means so much.
“The reason I love it is because when we get in the kitchen together and I cook fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, that cutting board always comes to my mind,” Lucille said. “It was one of my first Mother’s Day gifts.”
Lucille has an imprint on O’Neal’s life in many ways. When O’Neal made rap albums in the 1990s, he’d shout out to his mother. One of his current business ventures, his Big Chicken restaurants, features “Lucille’s Mac N’ Cheese.” The connection with food stretches beyond the cutting board.
O’Neal’s mother, Lucille. (Prince Williams / Wireimage)
He said his mother “instilled strong values” and is a big reason for his giving mindset. O’Neal has made giving back to the community a part of what he does regularly, thanks largely to Lucille. O’Neal focuses a lot of his charitable work on families in need. He remembers his mother struggling financially when he was growing up, so he tries to alleviate the burden for other mothers.
Lucille was 18 when she gave birth to O’Neal and had difficulties as a young mother. This was before she met O’Neal’s stepfather, the late Phillip Harrison. She once said she was “a baby myself, just out of high school” so she essentially grew up with him. Remembering Lucille’s struggles early in his life sparked him to want to help mothers in need.
As the oldest of four children, O’Neal learned to be a helper and go without for the sake of his younger siblings.
“I see giving back as just something we’re supposed to do,” O’Neal said. “I was one of these kids, and my family and community helped me when I needed it, so now I’m just trying to do my part.”
O’Neal doesn’t always publicize what he does. Some of his philanthropic efforts happen when he is at a store and decides to buy something for a child whose mom might not be able to afford it. Lucille doesn’t like her son bragging about what he has or does, so O’Neal is mum on some of his endeavors. But when you’re 7 feet 1, an NBA legend and one of the most recognizable pitchmen, it’s hard not to be noticed.
Some of O’Neal’s public efforts include his Comebaq Courts, which he places in areas he is familiar with to help children. The newest court is at the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County in the metro Atlanta area. He also had courts built in partnership with Icy Hot in Las Vegas, Miami (with former teammate Alonzo Mourning) and his hometown of Newark, N.J.
“You know, a lot of these kids come from certain backgrounds where mom and dad work two jobs,” O’Neal said. “A lot of times they are left alone, so this gives them a safe haven, a place to come by.”
Lucille is still the one person who can put the Hall of Fame center in his place. Six years ago, O’Neal was feuding on social media with center JaVale McGee, who was often featured on his “Shaqtin’ A Fool” segment on TNT NBA broadcasts, which highlight on-court bloopers.
As the beef seemingly got personal, Lucille told her son to cut it out — and he did.
This week, O’Neal took some heat for laughing after Lakers star Anthony Davis left Wednesday’s playoff game with a head injury. He said he wasn’t mocking the injury.
If there’s anyone who can check O’Neal about that — or anything — it’s Lucille.
“She’s always been my guide,” O’Neal said. “She still is the first person I call when I need advice. She’ll always be the most important person in my life and my biggest influence.”
