Unable to Afford $1500 Fancy Draft Night Fit, Millionaire Shaquille O’Neal Recounts Kind Gesture Fueled by Faith

Even before he entered the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal was slated for greatness. It gave those around him the confidence to bet on his potential. That showed in the kindness of strangers to a pre-fame Shaq that NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal reciprocated tenfold. Delving into his fashion history, O’Neal narrated the backstory of one of the first outfits we saw him in that was not a basketball jersey. That is, of course, that steel grey ’90s vibe suit a young Shaq in a buzzcut wore on the day the Orlando Magic selected him first overall in the 1992 draft.

Interestingly, that recognizable suit from the picture of Shaq holding the #33 Orlando jersey and cap next to the team owner, Richard DeVos was out of his budget. “I didn’t have $1,500 at the time,” which was the price of that suit, he told People. But he needed it. It was one of the few stores that could dress a ‘big and tall’ guy like the 7’1″ athlete.

O’Neal was a nationwide standout athlete for the LSU Tigers then. He was famous already and projected as a top draft prospect. The gentleman behind the counter knew he was looking at a future NBA star. So he offered him a deal. “The guy looked at me and said, ‘Shaq, you’re nice. You’re a gentleman. I know you’re going to do big things. Just pay me when you can.’”

The confidence of the salesperson was so immense that he gave Shaq two suits. Their combined value was about $3000. It was obvious which one he was going to wear. Sports media veteran, Ahmad Rashad, followed LSU’s Shaq ahead of the draft to turn the spotlight on him. Before he’d dunk on Rashad and break a school gym’s backboard, Shaq showed Rashad the grey suit he was going to wear to the draft.

Shaquille O’Neal’s potential gave faith

O’Neal admitted he wanted to wear a different color. But his mother insisted on the “off aquatic ocean green,” as he described it. The Rochester store’s size-inclusive range was also the inspiration for Shaq’s size-inclusive menswear line under JC Penney.

That’s just how an act of kindness would leave a lasting impression on O’Neal. He similarly experienced it when he was in high school in dire need of dress shoes for his school prom. His parents contacted Bruce Teilhaber in Atlanta, who made formal shoes for larger feet. They couldn’t afford his shoes, though. That’s why Teilhaber told Shaq’s parents he can pay him back when he’s a big-time NBA star.

O’Neal stayed true to it. He’s been Teilhaber’s customer for 30 years and going. He even bought dozens of shoes from him to gift to other bigger-built teens who can’t afford them like he once couldn’t. In many ways, the kindness came full circle with Shaq.