Shaquille O’Neal to Donate Super Bowl Festival Proceeds to Victims’ Families, Kobe Bryant Foundation

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal is hosting an event in Miami to set the stage for Super Bowl LIV. This part carnival, part music festival, part circus will take place on Friday night and will now be used to benefit those in need. O’Neal announced on Wednesday that he will be donating the festival’s proceeds to the families of the victims of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others on Sunday morning.

“Been going back and forth the past couple of days on if I should even have my event in Miami this weekend,” O’Neal said in a statement Wednesday. “Part of me wanted to stay to myself as I reflect what my brother and his family mean to me and my family. But in thinking what would Kobe want, what would he do? Kobe would want us to push through and celebrate life. So lets do just that.

“I’ll be dedicating and donating all my proceeds from Friday night’s Fun House to all the families who lost loved ones and to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation. Together we will celebrate all those who lost their lives in Sundays tragedy. RIP my brother, my friend and my homie, The Black Mamba. Until we meet again”

O’Neal and Bryant were teammates on the Lakers team that won NBA Titles in 2000-2002. They occasionally butted heads on the court but remained friends. O’Neal also viewed 13-year-old Gianna Bryant as his “niece.”

As he explained during an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the Hall of Famer only really had one regret about his relationship with Bryant. He wished that they had communicated more. The lack of exchanges wasn’t due to any dislike of each other; O’Neal said that’s “just how we are.”

Once they retired and focused on raising their families, O’Neal and Bryant saw that the ups and downs from their time with the Lakers simply evaporated. They just continued to be friends and fellow fathers.

“When I saw Kobe and his daughters — I love them,” O’Neal said. “He saw my kids. He loved them. If you look at my kid’s Instagram, he talked to Shareef yesterday morning. So, all of that stuff that was documented between us was never a dislike. I love Kobe Bryant.”

O’Neal wishes that he could still talk to Bryant, but that is no longer possible. Instead, he will be honoring his friend by donating a considerable amount of money to those affected by this tragic crash.

(Photo Credit: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)