Shaquille O’Neal helps pay funeral costs for 11-year-old boy killed in Louisiana car crash

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has made a habit of opening his heart and wallet to help families in need when tragedy strikes.

And now the four-time NBA champion is once again making a kind gesture during a time of crisis by paying some of the funeral expenses for an 11-year-old Louisiana boy killed in a car crash on April 10. 

Keshon Batiste, of Breaux Bridge, and a 12-year-old boy were riding in the backseat of a vehicle when it crashed into a ditch and struck a tree, killing them both.

Turns out the other victim’s family had insurance that covered all the costs of his burial, but Batiste’s did not, which resulted in loved ones creating a GoFundMe account.

O’Neal’s friend, Phil Conrad, a retired chief deputy officer from the Lafayette City Marshal’s Office told KLFY.com, the former LA Laker learned of the tragic events through a local news report. 

‘He (Shaq) called me and asked me to reach out to the family on his behalf and get back to him,’ Conrad said.

‘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 check.’

The two boys were laid to rest on Saturday. 

Over the years, O’Neal has reached out after learning of similar situations, but he’s opted to kept a low profile about it.

Back in November 2009 he paid for the funeral of a five-year-old North Carolina girl who was kidnapped and killed. 

The hall of famer also paid for the burial services of a 13-year-old Georgia boy who accidentally shot and killed himself while playing with a loaded gun as he was live on Instagram in April 2017. 

And just last December he paid for the funeral of a seven-year-old girl in Texas who was shot and killed while driving with her mother and three sisters.