Shaq spreads message of humor, kindness in Sarasota

Humor.

That was the theme of the morning as Shaquille O’Neal broke the traditional mold of the Ringling College Library Association Town Hall Lecture Series on Wednesday at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Rather than give a speech, O’Neal fielded questions from Town Hall Chairwoman Mitzie Henson with one goal in mind — making the audience laugh.

“I always want to be that guy, more than anything, that makes you laugh,” O’Neal said. “Life is stressful enough. I just want to make people laugh.”

Between joking about his first run-in with federal income taxes, telling an anecdote about how he paints his toenails red for good luck or teasing audience members for coughing, he did just that.

In between the humor, though, was a message of perseverance, kindness and the importance of education.

O’Neal, who didn’t make a high school basketball team until his junior year, said even when people didn’t always believe in him, he had the belief that someday, he would be great.

“I grew up all my life with people saying, ‘You can’t, you can’t, you can’t,’” O’Neal said. “I was always the kid that said, ‘OK, we’ll see.’”

After his career in basketball that eventually earned him four NBA championship rings and a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame took off, O’Neal branched out into movies, music and marketing. However, his mother wanted something else.

“After I made it big, my mom was on me saying, ‘You always promised me you’d pursue education,’” O’Neal said. “I’d say, ‘Mom, do you want to go to a movie premiere?’ and she’d say, ‘No, but I want to go to your LSU graduation.’”

So, O’Neal went back to school, earning his bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University in 2000, eight years after he left school for the NBA Draft. He didn’t stop there, though — he later earned a master’s degree and a doctorate.

And now, in the middle of his success, O’Neal, who does philanthropy such as Shaq-a-Claus for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reminded the audience the most important thing a person can do is be kind and help others when able.

“When people remember me, I don’t want to be remembered for basketball or my money,” O’Neal said. “I want people to say, ‘He was a nice guy.’”