It’s been a while since Shaquille O'Neal played basketball, but when he heard about the Gainesville police officer who responded to a noise complaint and ended up playing hoops with neighborhood kids, he decided he wanted to get in on the fun.
See the photos here.
MORE: Gainesville cop responds to noise complaint by joining pickup game
GPD Officer Bobby White and others play with Shaq against some local kids in Gainesville. Ben Tobias Paris Owens LaJarvis Cook Gainesville Police Department
Posted by Laura Campos on Saturday, January 23, 2016Shaq wanted to keep his appearance quiet Saturday, so the police department did not release information to the media beforehand.
"I became a cop to help people, and these kids will never forget the day Shaq rolled up to their neighborhood and played basketball with them," Ben Tobias, the GPD public information officer, said in a Action News Jax article. "Without my choice to keep it a secret, I'm not sure this day would have transpired like it did."
We told y'all we were gonna bring backup. We brought the biggest we knew. #HoopsNotCrime https://t.co/nG915j8pBc pic.twitter.com/bhfuIAlMAd
— Gainesville Police (@GainesvillePD) January 23, 2016
The police department's Facebook page has several pictures of Shaq's day at the park.