© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Shaquille O’Neal is one generous tipper.“When I’m at restaurants, I am a big tipper,” Shaq said, via Dime Mag. “I like to show people my appreciation, so when they come up to my table, I say, ‘The quicker I get my order, the bigger your tip will be.’ And then the food will come fast, and then when we get ready to leave, I’ll ask them, ‘How much you want’? And the most someone said is $4,000. And I said, okay, no problem.”
Wow. Talk about some serious gratuity action right there.
O’Neal obviously has the financial means to be overwhelmingly gracious with his gratuities, something other wealthy athletes have been known to do from time to time (here and here and here and here).
On the other hand, we’ve also heard countless, unflattering stories about professional athletes being embarrassingly cheap when tipping. Sometimes it has been warranted, as it was in this case, and other times it appears only to be a matter of cheapness, as was apparently the reason for Scottie Pippen, a notoriously bad tipper.
But Shaq? He’s next-level apparently when it comes to tipping.
Moving on, to say O’Neal is having quite the eventful week going might be an understatement. And it only gets better Friday, as the Los Angeles Lakers will officially unveil his statue outside Staples Center in what will be a well-attended ceremony.
It’s quite the honor, obviously, and perhaps it will help distract everyone from how Shaq trolled the world earlier this week by claiming he was a flat-Earther. That’d be nice.
YB
