Shaquille O'Neal once heard a little girl crying during an interview — and he knew exactly what to do

It’s not every day you get to see a sporting legend project their loving parent energy onto fans. Leave NBA great Shaquille O’Neal out of the conversation because the man has won hearts with his wholesome and grounded personality on multiple occasions. From launching his "Shaq-a-Claus" charity program designed to bring joy to underserved youth, to heartfelt encounters with strangers, Shaq has weaved a reputation of warmth and love. In a similar feat, he once comforted a baby girl crying in the audience during an interview, when his profound affection for kids shone through. The heartwarming instant was captured on camera and reshared by a fan page (@shaqnews) on Instagram. 

O’Neal, 53, was causally chatting with the interviewer when his attention diverted to a little girl crying in the audience. “I’m sorry baby, where are you? Don’t you cry, you little baby,” the former basketball player said while on stage. The crowd cheered for a bit before Shaq expressed his love for babies. The moment that followed proved it. As the interviewer attempted to proceed with the conversation, Shaq, who is a sports analyst for Inside the NBA, could barely focus and requested the child to come up on stage.

“Can I see that baby? Can you bring that baby up,” the father of six asked. Meanwhile, the crew fluttered to get it done and soon enough, viewers got a glimpse of the adorable baby girl held in her father’s arms. Shaq reached out as the kid's father put her down on his lap. Funnily enough, the little one stopped crying as soon as she was on stage, curiously gazing at the crowd. “Babies love Uncle Shaq. I’m sorry. You wanna go to the club too? Hey, babysitting gonna cost you $200. All right, I love you,” the athlete joked and the crowd broke into laughter.

Shaq momentarily held the microphone to the baby to let her speak if she wanted to but an awkward silence ensued. “Love you, Mia,” he said after confirming the name from her father, handing her back. The sweet moment captivated fans only doubling their admiration for the basketball superstar. Droves of fans poured love in the comments with many extolling his warm nature. 

“I love him. He’s an amazing human being. Man,” hailed a person (@morrislunawynn) while another person (@howefrederick3) declared, “Shaq for President!” Someone else (@f8thc) chimed, “Shaq is one of the coolest people!” “I love this guy even more now!!” said an overwhelmed netizen (@xx_nana_donna_xx). A couple of elaborate notes described unique bits from the interview.  “The way he looked over for her and said sorry is just so pure,” a comment by a social media user (@trashpeasant666) stated. Similarly, a second note (@ginasmithhughes) shared, “Shaq just has the best heart! If we could all be more like him, the world would be so much nicer.” 

However, this is nothing new. Shaq’s kindness and empathy for children date back to 2017 when he helped a family in Atlanta after their 5-year-old daughter suffered severe injuries in a dog attack. They flew out to the city and personally met up with the girl at a furniture store and bought them new pieces of furniture as a token of appreciation, per the Daily Mail. Later in 2019, he also helped buy a Georgia teen size 18 shoes, which are difficult to find and expensive to purchase, after his mother asked for help on social media. "Mom couldn't afford shoes. The kid had big feet. I just kind of reminisced about how that used to be me, my mom, and my dad," Shaq told WGCL-TV at the time.