Of course we’re not watching much NBA action at the time of this post… no sport of any kind, for that matter. But just use your imagination…
Ever have one of those moments? When you’re watching a game with the best ballers on Planet Earth…and you might think, “I wonder what it would be like to play with those guys?” Well, crazy as that sounds, it’s going to happen for a few lucky folks.
In a fundraiser put together by the Fanatics sports website, one lucky bidder – and four hoops-crazy friends – will get a chance to show Shaq what they’ve got skills-wise, on the court.
Bidding happened online earlier this week. The winner paid a cool $60,000 to have Shaq play a little three-on-three. Fanatics called it the “All-In Challenge,” and all proceeds from the auction will go to COVID-19 relief, benefiting Feeding America, Meals on Wheels, World Central Kitchen and No Kid Hungry. So, a great fundraiser for some great and much-needed help at this time.
Bidding ended at 11 p.m. Tuesday night. Opening bid started at $5,000 and quickly brought in a total of 34 bids before settling on the winning offer of $60,000.
From the Fanatics website:
He goes by Superman, the Big Diesel, and about a dozen other self-proclaimed nicknames that he came up with over the years. But all you need to know is – it’s Shaq. The living legend is inviting ONE winner and 4 of their friends to the hardcourt for the most physically daunting pickup game you can imagine.
Shaquille O’Neal has gone ALL-IN, and he’ll dust off those massive sneakers of his for a game of 3-on-3 with you and four (4) others. Don’t worry, you and your buddies won’t have to draw straws to decide who has to check Shaq in the post. Each of you will get the chance, because Shaq will be switching teams to keep things fair. After all, he’s a 4-time NBA champion, 3-time Finals MVP and on almost everybody’s GOAT short list. You probably won’t have the size advantage against the 7-foot-2 Goliath, so make sure you work on those finesse moves before hitting the court.
Probably?!? Probably won’t’ have a size advantage? We here at ShaqFu Radio would LOVE to see how (if?) anyone can even come close to Shaq’s towering stature. We don’t call him the Big Man around here for nothing!
Along with O’Neal, several other celebrities have pledged time and what are being called “Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities” for the All-In Challenge. More than $23 million has already been raised through various actions of activities like Shaq’s 3-on-3 in the past week.
No word yet on when and where the actual game will take place. Of course we’re all still pretty much staying home and staying safe. Stay tuned to this blog for more info on the game when it happened…and be prepared for a crazy highlight reel!