Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal recently shared his thoughts on the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. In a recent guesting on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Shaq denounced the killing, as he also spoke about what he teaches his own children when it comes to dealing with uniformed personnel of the law.
Here's the clip of an emotional O'Neal sharing his two cents worth on the matter:
Regardless of being one of the most prominent African American sports figures in the Unites States today, Shaquille O'Neal still fears that his children might fall victim to racial profiling by the police. This is why he always reminds them to keep a calm head should they be faced with a similar situation.
“I have that talk with them all the time,” O'Neal said, via Caitlyn Holroyd of theScore. “I tell them, first of all, you have to try to diffuse the situation by showing respect because you have to understand that these people are also out here doing their job. So, you try to diffuse the situation. And if it happens to get rough, don't say anything, don't do anything. Just comply.
“And then, when all is said and done, you call me. And if stuff gets out of hand, then I will handle it. I will be the one to come down there and act crazy. I don't want you to act crazy while you're out there by yourself. So, I just try to tell them to just comply, to just listen.”
Then again, O'Neal admitted that this is by no means a sure-fire formula. Case in point was Floyd's death while in custody.
“I try to be real with them and to have certain conversations, but you know, from the videos I've seen with Mr. Floyd, he was complying,” he said.
O'Neal's statement above speaks volumes of how racial discrimination is something African Americans live in fear of every single day — regardless of stature.
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