27 April 2020

NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal helps fund funeral of 11-year-old car crash victim

Former LA Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal has helped to pay for the funeral of an 11-year-old boy after he was killed in a car crash on April 10.

The four-time NBA Champion learned through local media of the death of Keshon Batiste and a 12-year-old boy, who were killed when riding in the backseat of a car which struck a tree.

And while the 12-year-old boy's family had insurance to cover the costs of a funeral and burial, this was not the case for Batiste, whose family had to resort to setting up a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise funds.

But Phil Conrad, a friend of O'Neal's and a retired chief deputy officer from the Lafayette City Marshal's Office, told KLFY.com: “He (Shaq) called me and asked me to reach out to the family on his behalf and get back to him.”

"When I called him back and told him that the family had raised over $3,000 in a GoFundMe, but was still short of what they needed, he immediately stopped what he was doing and sent money to me, and I wrote a cheque.”

Both boys were laid to rest on Sunday.

Hall of Famer O'Neal is known for his charitable donations (PA Images)

This is not the first time O'Neal has made a gesture of this kind.

The hall of famer paid for the funeral of a five-year-old girl in 2009 after she was kidnapped and killed.

And the basketball legend did the same for a 13-year-old who tragically shot himself live on Instagram in 2013.

In December 2019, O'Neal also paid for the funeral of a seven-year-old girl who died after being shot in the car with her mother and three sisters in Texas.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox