Spot a fan gazing longingly at a gadget, and Shaquille O’Neal just might slide up and pay for it. That’s how the Hall of Famer rolled through Walmart and Best Buy for years—buying bikes, scooters, even laptops for strangers in awe. Now, that same impulse led him to reward a 23‑year‑old YouTuber, proof that when Shaq spots hustle, he doesn’t just nod; he delivers a windfall.
It was close to two years ago when a YouTuber unexpectedly met Bryce James in a Target store. “Bro, I am a huge fan. Can I please get a pic, bro?” said the young fan who has over 480k subscribers. But that unexpected encounter soon turned awkward for LeBron’s youngest son. After taking one photo, the fan demanded another. Later, he began flashing gang signs and urged Bryce to do the same.
“I am a real blood, so you throw a blood,” the fan proclaimed, clearly not reading the room. Unfazed, Bryce gently shut down the inappropriate gesture. “We ain’t doing none of that,” he calmly replied. The clips of this video went viral over social media, and one even generated over 1 million views. Fast forward to this year, the YouTuber met Shaquille O’Neal, once again unexpectedly. This time, he did not throw any gang signs but made sure to remind the Lakers’ legend of the viral moment.
Shaq dabbed the young up and even jumped with him in celebration. Yet the fan was about to get an even bigger surprise. As the $500 million worth NBA icon started to walk towards his car, he dropped something valuable. “Oh, you just dropped money, you just dropped money, bro,” said the young fan. The kind-hearted Big Aristotle did what he always does. He proceeded to pay some cash not only to the YouTuber but also to his friend, who was filming. “I appreciate your honesty, bro,” O’Neal explained.
The young fan was so surprised that he celebrated wildly. “You ain’t get no money for Shaq, you ain’t get, yeah this straight from Shaq, this straight from Shaq. Come on, I ain’t spending this sh–.” A random day filming content earned him money, that too from the 4x NBA champion. However, this isn’t Shaq’s only viral generosity tied to the James family’s fame.
How Shaquille O’Neal turned LeBron’s mistake into a business win
Before Stephen A. Smith and King James’s courtside bust-up, the Lakers’ superstar was involved in another social media frenzy. Last year, he added, “Stop the 🧢!! LIARS!! I don’t know y’all, and I don’t even have that car. CLOUT CHASERS.” This response was after Effortless Motors posted about LeBron James purchasing vehicles from them. An intern who no longer works with Riverside Automotive thought of a marketing idea: Tagging King James would give them traction.
Even though they received backlash at first, they still came to the notice of Shaquille O’Neal. He reached out to the owner, Daniel Ubario understood it was all unintentional and, since then, has supported them with multiple requests. The Big Aristotle previously bought eight vehicles from them, including three customized Cyberbeasts, a Mercedes Sprinter van, and Ubario’s own Mercedes. In return, he gave them a Dodge Hellcat and even an Escalade.
Recently, he increased his collection of 40-plus cars with a third Cadillac Escalade IQ. Yes, all three from the same dealership. The 7-foot-1 icon has his reasons for supporting the dealership. “You wanna know what type of person I am? That’s the type of person I am. I see a kid on the internet who’s just starting his business, and I support him…He’s like, ‘I want to give you this free car,’ I’m like, ‘Bro, just be my friend, I don’t want nothing for free.”
Despite online backlash, Shaq reached the bottom of the situation, and now his partnership with Effortless Motors helps both parties. Similar to the YouTuber’s antics, where he saved the legend from losing some money and instead earned his trust.
