NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal reveals he once gave a waitress $4,000 as a tip to cover rent

Tipping, often a topic of debate, plays a crucial role in supporting those in the service industry. It's a gesture of appreciation for good service. Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal is known for his many accomplishments, but you would also be surprised to know that he is also a generous tipper. A few years back, he appeared on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show and recalled the time he gave a particularly huge tip to a young waitress.

A short clip of the interview has been shared on YouTube, where it has gotten an impressive 7 million views. At the start of it, Kimmel and Shaq talked about the statue that the Los Angeles Lakers put outside the Crypto.com Arena in the city. Kimmel asked him who would come to the unveiling of the statue and Shaq replied that he hoped most of his former teammates would show up. He also mentioned how he didn't invite anybody and just hoped that they would be there.

Kimmel was aware that Shaq had to speak at the statue's unveiling and asked him if he had prepared for it. The basketball star hilariously replied that he would write down his speech after watching the recording of the interview to see how "beautiful" he was. When Kimmel quizzed him about the face on a quarter coin, Shaq, initially puzzled, admitted, "I haven't handled a quarter in ages. I never carry cash."

This led Kimmel to speculate if Shaq hired a person to carry money around for him, which he denied. Then the host asked, "I heard you're a big tipper?" Shaq admitted that he was one and said that he likes to show people his appreciation for their service through tipping. "So when they come up to the table, I say, 'The quicker I get my order, the bigger your tip'," he stated. Once he is done with his meal, he generally asks the server how much they want for a tip.

The largest amount he had to pay as a tip so far has been $4,000. Kimmel was shocked to hear this. Shaq explained, "Yeah, it was a young lady. She was like, 'Oh my god, you're going to pay my rent for two months'." Kimmel pointed out how $4,000 was a strange figure for a tip. 

Kimmel then asked how much Shaq tipped people for other services: "What about a valet; if somebody parks your car? How much do they get?" Shaq stated that he would give them $300. There were times when he was not carrying any cash and in such cases, he would keep driving and go home. Either way, if you're working in the service industry and Shaq shows up, you know what to do!