Shaquille O'Neal once paid for a shy fan who was struggling to buy an engagement ring - "This is something I do every day"

Random acts of kindness have been a bit of an ongoing trend with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. When looking at some of the kind gestures the former basketball star has made, we took a look at the time Shaq paid for a fan's engagement ring.

Just about a year ago, Shaquille O'Neal surprised a young fan at a Zales mall store in Atlanta. Shaq spotted the young man discussing the price of an engagement ring and the details of paying it off.

As per Shaq's observation, the man appeared "shy" while inquiring about the ring. Hence, "Superman" swooped in to the rescue. O'Neal stepped in and offered to pay for the engagement ring on the spot.

O'Neal disclosed some details of the situation on a broadcast of NBA on TNT Tuesday night. He said:

"This is something I do every day. The other day my wife and I were furniture shopping. And this lady she had this autistic daughter. She was looking to pay for some furniture. I just took care of it.”

Speaking of gestures involving spending big money, O'Neal also reportedly covered the tab for an entire restaurant in New York City last year. While dining at the Jue Lan Club in NYC, Shaq reportedly paid $25,000 to cover the bill for nearly 40 tables.

Another similar act from last year saw the big man pick up the tab for customers at a popular deli in Houston around Christmas. Shaq certainly spread some holiday cheer that day.

O'Neal's approach to making people happy has seen him perform numerous generous acts of kindness.

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Shaquille O'Neal is notorious for spending big

While his generous acts of kindness are a thing of beauty, Shaquille O'Neal is notorious for his big spending habits. While the former NBA player has certainly done well for himself by building a tremendous portfolio, he has made some equally questionable financial decisions in the past.

One such story was of the time he spent approximately $9 million in a few days. Shaq's first season with the LA Lakers saw the big man absolutely splurge. Unaware of taxation laws in the state, O'Neal didn't realize how heavy the price tag on his purchasing spree would be.

Having spent an incredible amount of money on luxury cars and other commodities, Shaq was eventually billed just over half his salary for the year.

Since then, Shaquille O'Neal has become wiser with money. However, he remains active on the philanthropic front.