Story of How Shaq Walked Away from Millions, All to Help Teens Like This Who Need Size 23 Shoes

A Missouri teenager needed to find tennis shoes that fit him, and Shaq, with his shoe size of almost 23, helped make that happen. 

16-year-old Jor'el Bolden is 6ft 5in, 380lbs, and size 23 in shoes. Because of that, it's a struggle to find shoes that work for him and fit him comfortably. 

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Struggling to Find The Right Size Shoes

In January, Jor'el and his mom talked to KCTV 5 about struggling to find shoes that fit. His mom, Tamika Neal, shared with USA Today that even as a baby, Jor'el's feet were too large to fit into shoes. He wore only socks for the first few months.

Not knowing what to do as the size 23 shoes he would need would be $1000s of dollars, his mom set up a GoFundMe, which reached over $12,000. However, once the story of their need for shoes got popular online after an interview, Tamika received a call from Entertainment Tonight letting her know that "someone special wants to talk to you."

Who was that particular person? 

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Shaq Steps In 

Shaquille O'Neal, AKA Shaq, is a former superstar professional basketball player and sports analyst. And has quite a generous heart. 

In 1998, he walked away from a $40 million shoe deal with Reebok. He did this after a mother called him out over how much his branded sneakers cost. She made him realize the expense of his branded sneakers for his fans was too high. He took his talents to Walmart to make more affordable shoes. 

"That day, I cut ties with Reebok," Shaq once explained. "I said keep the money… this ain’t right. I’ll still wear the shoes I do during the season, but I’ll be looking to do my own thing. So, I started the Shaq brand. I went to my favorite store, Walmart, and we did a deal.”

Shaq talked to Jor'el over Facetime and told him to expect some goodies in the mail. A few days later, he received three boxes filled with clothing and 20, yes, 20 pairs of shoes size 23. 

"It's better than Christmas morning. Santa didn't send this, Shaq did," Tamika told KCTV 5. 

In a video on YouTube, Jor'el said, "Thank you for taking the time and the money you have earned to give it to me when I needed it. So I would like to thank you for all the things that will come from it and that have."

Shaq has quite a generous heart. In addition to Shaq sending shoes in size 23 to Jor'el, he also sent them to another teenager in Michigan, as well as clothing and goodies for his brother. 

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Forced to Wear Shoes That Don't Fit 

Before this generous gift, Jor'el was forced to wear size 22 shoes they had found on eBay. These shoes were too tight and kept him from going out and having fun. "Every time I go out to walk and stuff, it hurts my feet," he told USA Today. 

What a fantastic thing for Shaq to do for this kid. He has genuinely shown an act of kindness, and it is lovely to see how appreciative Jor'el is for the special gift. He will use the GoFundMe funds when he needs to buy a bigger size in the future. 

WATCH: Shaq Gives Shoes in Size 23 to Teen

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering." - Colossians 3:12 

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h/t: Yahoo

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/ABC 7 Chicago

Julie Provost is a GodUpdates staff writer and editor. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, three boys, and little dog Max. She loves to read, go to the movies, and enjoy time with family and friends.