Shaquille O'Neal paid over $25,000 for entire restaurant's tab while on date

While most of us feel like a big baller when we've bought a round down the pub, Shaquille O'Neal once picked up the tab for an entire restaurant of diners.

The former NBA star came up with the incredibly generous gesture, footing the whole bill when it came to "well over $25,000" and even included a sizeable tip.

Anyone who was dining in Jue Lan Club in New York on Sunday, 12 June, 2022 struck absolute gold when Shaq turned up.

The 7ft 1 behemoth was with a mystery woman, with a diner telling Page Six that he was overheard describing her as 'my date'.

Shaq is said to have enjoyed some Beijing chicken, shrimp tempura and chicken - with his lady doing the ordering and the ex LA Lakers player doing the paying.

He then proceeded to cover the bill for 40 tables, with a source saying: "And to top that off, he paid for everyone’s check [who was] dining at the restaurant."

Shaq was also said to be "extremely generous" to the staff and left "them the biggest tip they’ve ever received".

The 52-year-old didn't want to make a song and dance out of his gesture and wanted to keep the whole thing private and asked staff not to tell customers until he left.

Image: Getty

Shaq has a net worth of more than $400 million but he has quite infamously made it clear that his kids will not benefit without doing anything.

When appearing on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, he called for his six children to work hard for everything they get and that they cannot live off his wealth.

"My kids are older now. They kinda upset with me - not really upset - but they don't understand," he said.

"Because I tell them all the time. We ain't rich. I'm rich.

"You've got to have Bachelor's or Master's [degrees] and then if you want me to invest in one of your companies, you're going to have to present it... bring it to me, I'll let you know. I'm not giving you nothing."

Although he made millions on the court, O'Neal is keen for his kids to be involved in other projects.

Image: Getty

He added: "There's one rule: education. I don't care if you play basketball. I don't care about none of that.

"Listen, I got six kids. I would like a doctor, somebody to own a hedge fund, a pharmacist, a lawyer, someone that owns multiple businesses, someone to take over my business.

"But I tell them I'm not going to hand it to you. You gotta earn it."