Shaquille O’Neal said his favorite playground memory is “falling out of the monkey bars face first” – a hard fall he remembers with a sly grin.
The NBA Miami Heat center and University alumnus appeared Wednesday at Polk Elementary to revamp a children’s playground for their own monkeying around.
The playground construction was in conjunction with the Shaquille O’Neal CHAMPS/Life Skills program, which strives to help NCAA student athletes’ academic achievement and community involvement.
Michael Nelson, account executive for LSU Sports Properties, said 84 Lumber funded the project through a $20,000 donation to the program. O’Neal received a 6-XL sized shirt with an 84 Lumber logo to thank him for his participation, Nelson said.
Various LSU student athletes, such as LSU basketball players Garrett Temple and Sylvia Fowles, appeared throughout the day to lend a hand with shoveling, cleaning and building.
As Polk Elementary students gathered at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium, excited whispers and nervous anticipation spread regarding the 7-foot-1-inch superstar’s impending arrival.
Tara Zanders’ second grade class sat cross-legged on the auditorium floor while waiting for O’Neal.
“I told them Shaq was coming and that he was pretty tall,” Zanders said. “I’m not really sure if it’s hit them yet.”
Raven, a student in Zanders’ class, said she had an idea where O’Neal was hiding.
“He’s behind the [stage] curtains with a basketball,” she said.
Raven’s classmate Miracle had an even bolder prediction.
“He’s going to have a goal and shoot hoops,” she said.
Amber, also in the second grade, said she sometimes watches O’Neal’s games with her father. She paused for some time when asked what she would tell O’Neal if she could meet him.
“I would say, ‘Good afternoon,'” she said with a wide smile.
Darius, also in Zanders’ class, said he likes O’Neal “because he was in ‘Scary Movie 4.'”
“I would just faint if I could meet him,” Darius said.
Polk Elementary Principal Cherryl Matthews said she told children to expect a “special guest” Wednesday morning.
“We never really told them who was coming,” she said. “We tried to keep it low-key, but it has been on the news.”
Clearly, word spread quickly.
As Matthews introduced O’Neal after lengthy stalling tactics, she challenged the students to guess the guest with clues such as, “He’s someone tall,” and “He handles a ball well.”
“Who might it be?” she asked the crowd.
“SHAQ!” the children roared in response.
“And I thought it was a secret,” Matthews said with a laugh.
O’Neal entered the room and took the microphone, to overwhelming applause and screams from the students.
“How many of you want a brand new playground?” he yelled.
His speech was brief, telling students to strive for their personal bests and to always listen to their parents. At Matthews’ request, he autographed eight basketballs to be given at the end of the school year to the highest academically achieving students in each grade.
O’Neal then accepted an honorary gold spray-painted shovel, moved outside and took a few ceremonial digs into the gravel.
LSU baseball junior infielder Chris McGhee and his teammate sophomore catcher Sean Ochinko were on hand for the assembly and playground construction.
“It’s great to give back to the community and help the kids,” said McGhee, a member of LSU’s Student Athlete Advisory Council for community involvement. “Plus, when I hear [O’Neal] speak, he’s always funny and entertaining.”
O’Neal did not disappoint, entertaining the crowd by bringing a young student to the stage and even kissing a teacher on the cheek. Matthews said she knows her students will forever remember the day O’Neal came to visit.
“I know they willl talk about it for the rest of their lives,” Matthews said.
—Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]