Coming soon to a bookstore near you, from the good people at the “Upworthy” website: “Good People.. Stories from the Best of Humanity.” As it says on the Upworthy site: “For anyone who could use proof that the world is full of good people, this beautifully illustrated book features 101 stories of human decency from Upworthy, the beloved social media brand that reaches more than 100 million people per month.”
Guess who one of the 101 stories is all about? Yup, our man Shaq. If you’re interested in O’Neal story, along with 100 more, the book is available for pre-order right now on Amazon and other book sites and at your local bookstore, too.
While Shaq is part of the roundup of fun, interesting, and uplifting stories, the book is not just about celebrities, sports stars and other famous folk. If you follow Shaq’s stories here on the ShaqFu Radio blog (and who doesn’t?), you know that while the Big Man is indeed a super-big celebrity, he very much prefers to keep it real. To be among normal people, even though he’s obviously going to stand out and above any crowd.
Here on the blog and in other stories on social media and TV, we see that Shaq regularly shares his wealth, along with personal and professional advice with lots of people. He pays his own way at restaurants and stores, and often digs into his own wallet to help others around him that may be in need.
The authors of the book found a year-old video of O’Neal talking about when he visits a McDonald’s or other restaurant. He’s usually very generous with staff members and others. Check out the video below for a great story.
The BIG Podcast with SHAQ
Shaq has a great attitude about his fame, and more importantly, the contributions other people make to keeping the world rolling along. “I know I’m ‘the Shaq’ and I can eat free, I just can’t i can’t do it. Because remember, these people right here make this world go around, not me. But it’s my job to entertain them, and then when they pay, that’s how I get paid. So it’s all a certain ecosystem that can never be broken. A lot of people break it…but you got to protect the people that make you who you are.”
Whenever and wherever he shows up and shows some kindness, there’s usually others who see it and take to social media to report on what’s going on. “A true gentleman,” wrote one person. “The more I see of him..the more I respect him.. Thank you for being a great person!!” Another posted: “Shaq is the kind of man who should be one’s role model.”
As for the “famous” thing…like we said, he keeps it real. “‘You gotta protect the people who made you who you are’ that’s why this man is respected by all,” one person wrote. Another: “This is why Shaq is my fav! He never let the fame kill the goodness in his heart. He stayed pure.”
There are a ton of other “Shaq-spottings” all over the country. You can check past posts here on the ShaqFu Radio blog for even more inspiring stories. Here’s one of our favs: “I can personally vouch that Shaq is 100% correct here. I met him at a Subway in Florida. Shaq got in line waited while people was taking pictures of him and I started a conversation with him. He ordered his food and tip both workers $100 each. Very humble guy.”
Keep an eye out for the new book and grab a copy when it hits store shelves. Along with Shaq, there are – as the title says – 101 great stories of great people. Making the world a better place for us all…