Now, the NBA Hall of Famer and TNT broadcaster is pitching in to cover the funeral costs for 11-year-old Keshon Batiste.
Phil Conrad, who is friends with O’Neal, told KLFY that O’Neal first heard about the wreck through local media. O’Neal was a star at Louisiana State University, about 50 miles east of Breaux Bridge.
“He (Shaq) called me and asked me to reach out to the family on his behalf, and get back with him,” Conrad, the former chief deputy for the Lafayette Parish marshal’s office, told KLFY.
“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 the money to me, and I wrote out a check.”
Conrad told KLFY that O’Neal was willing to cover the cost of expenses for both families, but the Alexander family had insurance.
Two other children in the vehicle were taken to a hospital for treatment. Police are still investigating.
Conrad and the Lafayette Parish police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.