Neighbor called the cops on kids playing basketball. The police rushed to the scene — but with Shaquille O’Neal
A noise complaint turned into the pickup game of a lifetime.
In 2009, a Gainesville resident called police to complain about a group of kids playing basketball in the street. Less than two weeks later, those same boys couldn’t believe their eyes when NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, aka Shaq, stepped out of a squad car to join their game. As per ABC News, the Gainesville Police Department posted a video (now-deleted) to their Facebook page with the hashtag #HoopsNotCrime, which gained more than 15 million views in just a few weeks. They also posted a clip on YouTube, which racked up more than 2.2 million views. It all began on January 15, when Officer Bobby White responded to the call.
Instead of scolding the kids, he picked up a ball and joined them, and his dashcam recorded him saying, "Can you believe someone is calling to complain about kids playing basketball in the street? I obviously don’t have a problem with it." Among those viewers was Shaq. On January 23, he showed up at the Gainesville Police Department to surprise Officer White, telling him he wanted to back him up in a rematch. "Are you kidding me?" White said when Shaq walked through the door, later calling the moment "unbelievable." Together, they drove back to the same neighborhood where the complaint had been made.
When the squad car pulled up, the kids expected another visit from Officer White, but before they could react, he reminded them of his earlier promise. "I told you I was going to bring some backup, right?" White said, gesturing toward the car, "You see these big boys I brought? You sure you can take them?" Moments later, Shaq stepped out, leaving the boys stunned. "Holy crap, it’s you," one of the boys exclaimed as the group broke into cheers and applause. The NBA star immediately joined the pickup game, offering the kids a free-throw contest worth $100 for every shot they made, handing out signed basketballs, and posing for photos.
Moments like this not only lift the spirits of those directly involved. but also have broader effects. A global survey-based study called the Big Joy Project, part of research conducted by UCSF and UC Berkeley, tracked nearly 18,000 participants between 2022 and 2024. It found that spending just five to ten minutes each day on small acts of joy, for self or for others, improved people’s happiness, reduced stress, and even increased their sense of emotional control.
ABC News cameras captured the moment, noting how unusual it was for a call like this to end in encouragement rather than confrontation, with many pointing out the positive contrast compared to other high-profile encounters between officers and young people. Before leaving, he gathered the group into a huddle and gave them a message he wanted them to remember. "I’ll tell you a secret that will change your life," he said. "You know how much money I made? $700 million. You know how I made that? Respecting my peers, listening to my mama and daddy, and focusing on school." He then had the kids repeat after him: "I will become whatever I want to be. I will be a leader and not a follower. I will respect my peers and my elders, and especially my parents." He closed with, "All right, love you guys."
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