Shaquille O'Neal Randomly Pays For Young Man's Engagement Ring

He's already one of the most loveable characters in sport.

But Shaquille O'Neal continues to prove why he's so widely adored with yet more random acts of random kindness.

This time, Shaq has well and truly made one bloke's day by purchasing his engagement ring for him.

The chance encounter happened when Shaq walked into a local jewellery store in Georgia in search of some earrings.

While browsing the shelves himself, he noticed a young man on the hunt for an engagement ring for his partner.

But when it came time to pay for said ring, Shaq saw that the bloke was stressing over the bill and was trying to figure out a way to set up a payment plan.

That's when 7-foot-1-inch Shaq stepped in to help out.

"I seen the guy come in, he was just so shy," Shaq told the NBA on TNT panel.

"He was saying, 'Hey, how much do I owe to pay off my ring.'

"And I was like, 'My man, how much is the ring?' I'm not going to say the amount, but it's not a lot for me.

"I was like, 'You know what? Tell your girlfriend I got her. I'll take care of it.'

"At first, he didn't want to take it. He was like, 'Man, I can't do that.' I said, 'Don't worry about it. I do it all the time.' I'm just trying to make people smile, that's all."

A classy gesture from the big man.

The bloke did finally accept Shaq's kind offer before posing for a photo with the four-time NBA champion.

Topics: Basketball, NBA, nba news, Shaq, engagement, Australia, Engagement Ring

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry