*Shaquille O’Neal honored his late friend Kobe Bryant in a deeply personal way, gifting Kobe’s mother, Pam Bryant, a fully restored 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser—the same vehicle Kobe drove during his high school years.
The gesture took place on August 23, recognized in Los Angeles as “Kobe Day,” which would have marked Bryant’s 47th birthday. According to SandraRose.com, the SUV held deep sentimental value for Pam. After noticing it sitting unused outside her home, Shaq arranged for Effortless Motors to refurbish it with OEM parts, covering the entire cost himself.
The company expressed its excitement on Instagram, writing: “What an honor! ? We had the incredible opportunity to restore a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser owned by Kobe Bryant’s family — delivered to them on his birthday,” Effortless Motors shared. “Huge thanks to @shaq for making it happen, and shoutout to @anthonyhall_chicago for helping bring this project to life. At Effortless Motors, it’s all about passion, legacy, and excellence.”
Beyond this heartfelt gesture, O’Neal’s entrepreneurial ventures continue to thrive. His fast-growing restaurant chain, Big Chicken, launched in Las Vegas in 2018, now has over 350 locations in development across the U.S. According to BET.com, the chain’s appeal stems from its bold menu, featuring items like the “Big Aristotle,” a fried chicken sandwich with bacon, macaroni and cheese, and crispy onions, and the “Charles Barkley,” which includes roasted garlic BBQ aioli and crispy onions.
The menu’s creativity and hearty portions have driven its rapid expansion, complementing Shaq’s diverse $400 million business portfolio, which includes investments in Auntie Anne’s, Five Guys, Papa John’s, Krispy Kreme, fitness centers, car washes, apparel, and tech.
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O’Neal’s ambitions extend to academia, as he pursues studies at Alabama State University, an HBCU. During a recent episode of “Inside the NBA,” he declared, “From now I would like to be addressed as Professor O’Neal because when I graduate in two years, I will leave you and become a college professor on mentorship and business administration.”
Shaq aims to share his business acumen and life experience with students, telling The Athletic, “I always supported [HBCUs]. It was an HBCU that helped me graduate from LSU.”
Reflecting on his time at Southern University for summer courses, he added, “Going there, the flavor, the feeling-like, sometimes I sit and I say, ‘Man, I wish I would’ve went to an HBCU. Because I went to the HBCU tournament when it was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago. And the DJs, the culture, the band, the cheerleaders-it’s just fun. And I’m a really big supporter of HBCUs.”
Known for his generosity, Shaq’s philanthropy includes donating 2,000 pairs of shoes to underprivileged children at Camp Grace and providing homes, furniture, gaming consoles, and laptops to those in need, per BET.com.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken Empire Grows While His Philanthropy Shines
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