$600 Million Worth Shaquille O’Neal Blames “Miscommunication” Amid Involvement in Ed Reed-Bethune Cookman Controversy

Bethune-Cookman University’s decision to rescind its agreement to hire NFL Hall of Famer Ed Reed has left many people upset. As revealed by Pro Football Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, many billionaires were ready to invest in the school, including NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. While rumors have floated questioning O’Neal’s involvement, the 4x NBA champion recently cleared the air. This wasn’t the first time the $600 million worth O’Neal was ready to invest in an HBCU.

On the recent episode of his podcast ‘The Big Podcast’, Shaq opened up about the situation. Shaq revealed that he was in line with both the University and Reed, as his mother had graduated from Bethune-Cookman. “I’m going to be as professional as I can,” he said. The 4-time champion continued, “I’m not the one to bash. I’m not the one to judge. But I am the one that when you say you need something done, I will step up and do it. ”

He said that Reed reached out to him and told him that he had seen some things that he didn’t like. O’Neal refused to reveal what Reed told him.

Shaquille O’Neal wanted to help

After meeting Reed, Shaq was ready to help him and the university. “Now, I wanted to help but I’m the type of guy that when I help, I don’t want to be bothered with politics.” He continued, “If you say we need new facilities, I’m educated enough to know how to get that done.”

The Big Aristotle only wants to hear how much money is needed so that his team can handle the business along with him. “It was a lot of miscommunication. It was a lot of this, it was a lot of that and as a result, they didn’t hire Ed,” O’Neal said.

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He said that Reed and he were going to try their best to help. Due to his respect for Reed, Dr. Gleen, and his mother, Shaq was looking into it. He also revealed that before any commitments were made, a lot of negative stuff had already happened. “I was just waiting for information,” he said.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend loves helping others out

While the big man had a stellar career on the court of basketball, his contributions to society are second to none. Over the years, the Los Angeles Lakers legend has helped many in need. The ‘Shaquille O’Neal Foundation’ was set up in 2019 to instill hope and bring about change in underserved communities.

Shaq seems to have a particular passion for children and their desire to succeed, whether that be in sports, education, or employment. Along with various charitable ventures, Shaq has also become a very successful businessman over the years.

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We can only hope O’Neal continues to serve the community with generosity and passion as he has been for so many years. What are your thoughts on the Ed Reed story? Let us know in the comments.