>> IN THE WORLD OF BASKETBALL,

FEW PLAYERS MORE CELEBRATED OR

MORE EXCITING TO WATCH THAN

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, ATTRIBUTING

HIS SUCCESS BOTH ON AND OFF THE

COURT TO THE VALUES INSTILLED IN

HIM AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.

AND HE WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR

TO THE CLUB'S DENTAL CARE.

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA, AND

MICHAEL HILL HAD A CHANCE TO

SPEAK WITH SHAQ.

WHAT IT MEANT TO HAVE A PLACE

LIKE THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB

GROWING UP.

>> THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE IT

ALL STARTED.

BOTH PARENTS HAD JOBS.

COULDN'T AFFORD BABY-SITTERS.

LIVED ACROSS THE STREET.

I WAS INSTRUCTED TO COME HERE

AFTER SCHOOL AND WAIT UNTIL ONE

OF US CAME TO GET YOU.

MISS BANKS, SHE IS STILL HERE

SHE MADE SURE THAT ALL THE KIDS

WENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

LET ME SEE YOUR HOMEWORK FOR.

SO EDUCATION WAS IMPORTANT.

AFTER WE SHOWED HER THE

HOMEWORK, WE WERE ABLE TO PLAY.

THIS IS A SAFE HAVEN BUT ALSO A

PLACE TO CULTIVATE MY DREAMS.

>> YOU LEARNED A LOT.

>> FIRST THING I LEARNED IS HOW

TO TURN CRITICISM INTO

MOTIVATION.

WHEN YOU ARE BIGGER THAN

EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY EXPECTS YOU

TO BE MICHAEL JORDAN ALREADY.

COULDN'T PLAY, COULDN'T DUNK,

BUT HAD THE DRIVE AND

DETERMINATION.

>> IF YOU WERE NOT HERE, AND

THIS CLUB WERE NOT HERE, WHERE

WOULD SHAQUILLE O'NEAL HAVE

BEEN?

>> I THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT.

I OWE THIS PLACE.

THAT IS WHY I KEEP COMING BACK.

IF IT WASN'T FOR THIS PLACE,

THERE WOULDN'T BE SHAQUILLE

O'NEILL.

OR THE BRAND.

>> THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THIS

WHEN I WAS A KID.

I HELPED BUILD ALL THE STUFF IN

THERE NOW, AND IT IS AWESOME.

>> KIDS NEVER GET A CHANCE TO GO

TO THE DENTIST OR EYES EXAMINED,

IN THIS CASE, ISSUES LATER ON IN

LIFE ARE ADDRESSED.

>> IT IS A BIG ORDEAL, KIDS ARE

SHY BY NATURE, SO IF YOU CAN'T

SEE, YOU WON'T READ.

I CAN'T SEE, I WON'T READ.

YEARS AFTER, THAT JUST ADDS TO

ILLITERACY.

SO WE GET THEM IN THERE, AND GET

THEM TESTED AND TELL THEM DON'T

WORRY ABOUT IT, PICK OUT A PAIR.

AND IN HERE, WE ASSOCIATE

READING WITH COMIC BOOKS AND

OTHER LITTLE BOOKS AND FUN BOOKS

MANY START TO BRING UP THEIR

COMPREHENSION AND THAT IS WHAT

WE WANT FOR THE YOUNGSTERS.

WHEN I GOT TOGETHER WITH THE

DOCTOR AND FRIENDS AND WE SAID

WE GOTTA MAKE IT FREE.

AND IT IS WONDERFUL.

PEOPLE CALL IT GIVING BACK, AND

THIS IS WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO

DO.

SUPPOSED TO DO IT BECAUSE MY

MOTHER TOLD ME TO DO IT.

YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND FIX THAT

PLACE UP.

FAMILIES THAT DON'T HAVE A

HOUSE, HANDLE THAT.

SOME MAY CALL IT GIVING BACK,

BUT I AM TAKING ORDERS FROM THE

PERSON WHO RAISED ME.

>> YOU VOWED TO KEEP THAT

PROBLEM.

>> ANY MAN THAT DON'T KEEP A

PROMISE TO HIS MOTHER IS NOT A

REAL MAN OR ANY MAN WHO DOESN'T

HONOR HIS MOTHER, IS NOT A REAL

MAN OR ANY WOMAN.

MY MOM WORKED HARD FOR ME.

THE REASON WHY I WORK HARD FOR

HER IS I APPRECIATE THAT.

THE FUNNY THING ABOUT OUR

RELATIONSHIP, IS HER MOTHER TOLD

HER WHEN I WAS BORN, THIS ONE IS

SPECIAL.

WATCH OUT FOR THIS ONE.

THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE WORLD

KNOWN.

1 YEARS OLD.

I AM DOING WHAT I AM TOLD.

>> I LISTEN TO YOU TELL YOUR

STORY ABOUT THIS CLUB AND WHAT

YOU LEARNED HERE, YOU KNEW THEN

WHEN YOU WERE A KID, DESPITE THE

MINOR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND

OTHER STRUGGLES, YOU MAY HAVE

HAD, YOU KNEW YOU WERE SPECIAL.

>> I KNEW I WAS SPECIAL, BUT I

DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO MAKE

IT.

50% OF PEOPLE TELLING YOU YOU

ARE GOING TO BE THAT.

AND THE OTHER 50% YOU ARE NOT

GOING TO DO THAT.

AND YOU LEAN, MAYBE, I AM NOT

GOING TO GO PRO OR GET A

SCHOLARSHIP.

BUT MY MOTHER AND FATHER TOLD ME

NEVER GIVE UP.

AND MISS BANKS WOULDN'T GIVE ME

THE ANSWER, DON'T GIVE UP.

DO IT AGAIN.

GO AHEAD, USE YOUR FINGERS.

SIX TIMES FIVE IS 30.

THAT'S RIGHT, BABY.

GROWING UP, YOU CAN'T GIVE UP.

>> IN MAKING THE CONTRIBUTIONS

YOU HAVE MADE HERE, THESE KIDS

KNOW, SOMEBODY CARED ABOUT THEM.

>> I THINK THEY KNOW THAT I

CARE.

BUT BASICALLY, I AM TELLING

THEM, I AM IN THE SAME SITUATION

YOU ARE FROM.

I KNOW YOU LOOK AT ME NOW, AND

LOOK AT ALL THE TOYS.

BUT THE WAY TO GET TO THE TOYS,

YOU HAVE GOT TO START FROM

SOMEWHERE.

I USED TO EAT ONCE A DAY ALSO.

AND I USED TO GO CHRISTMASES

WITHOUT GETTING ANY PRESENTS.

SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE

GOING THROUGH.

HOWEVER, THIS IS THE BLUE PRINT.

I KNOW IT, BECAUSE I WROTE IT.

I AM A DOCTOR.

AND YOU STUDY THIS.

THERE IS A HELL OF A CHANCE THAT

YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL OR MORE

SUCCESSFUL THAN ME.

BE A LEADER, NOT A FOLLOWER.

NEVER GIVE UP.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.

DON'T BE TALKING BACK TO THAT

MAN LIKE THAT, YOU GO AND SAY

YES, SIR, NO, SIR.

THAT IS ALL I HAD.

I WASN'T A WHIZ KID, A GREAT

ATHLETES.

THOSE PRINCIPLES MADE ME WHO I

AM TODAY.

YOU FOLLOW THESE, BAM, YOU CAN

GET OUT.

>> YOU HAVE HAD AN IMPORTANT

MENTOR IN YOUR LIFE.

>> YEAH, DALE BROWN.

13-YEARS OLD, 6'9" COULDN'T

DUNK, COULDN'T PLAY.

IN GERMANY, WE WERE IN WEST

GERMANY AT THE TIME.

MY FATHER SAID LET'S GO LISTEN

TO THIS GUY COACH, MAYBE YOU CAN

GET A SCHOLARSHIP.

SO I TALKED TO HIM, COACH, 6'9",

CAN'T PLAY, CAN'T DUNK.

CAN YOU HELP ME WITH MY LOWER

EXTREMITIES, I LEARNED THAT WORD

THE DAY BEFORE IN THE DICTIONARY

BECAUSE I WAS ON PUNISHMENT.

HE SAID HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN

IN THE ARMY.

I SAID I AM NOT IN THE ARMY, I

AM 13.

WHAT?

13?

SO WE KEPT IN TOUCH.

HE SENT ME QUOTES, PAMPHLETS.

AND I HAD TO WRITE HIM A PAINFUL

LETTER, ALL THE STUFF YOU SENT

ME, DIDN'T WORK.

THANKS FOR THE WORK.

I APPRECIATE YOU.

I AM GOING TO QUIT AND JOIN THE

ARMY LIKE MY DAD.

LOVE YOU.

NEXT LETTER, I DON'T WANT YOU TO

QUIT.

FORGET BASKETBALL.

DO YOUR STUDIES.

GET BACK TO THE STATES AND CALL

ME.

HE SAYS I WILL GIVE YOU A

SCHOLARSHIP.

FINANCIAL AID, DONE, WE'LL TAKE

CARE OF IT.

THAT'S WHY I CHOSE TO GO TO LSU.

HE SAW SOMETHING IN ME THAT I

DON'T SEE IN MYSELF.

BY THE TIME I GOT TO SAN

ANTONIO, I WAS THE NUMBER ONE

PLAYER.

HE HELPED ME THROUGH THE WAY.

>> AND ONCE YOU WENT TO LSU?

>> HE TOOK CARE OF ME, AND HAD

THE SAME PRINCIPLES MY PARENTS

HAVE.

LIKE, HEARD YOU WERE OUT WITH

SOME GUYS DRINKING THE DAY, YOU

KNOW BETTER THAN THAT.

YOU KNOW TO BE A LEADER NOT A

FOLLOWER.

YES, SIR.

I DON'T WANT YOU AROUND THAT

CROWD.

YES, SIR.

DIDN'T GO TO CLASS, YOU HAD TO

RUN 15 LAPS IN THE MORNING.

VERY TOUGH.

TOUGH LOVE PROPELLED ME TO

GREATNESS.

>> YOU ARE IN RETIREMENT NOW,

YOU DON'T MISS THE GAME, DO YOU?

>> NEVER.

NOT AT ALL.

>> TELL ME WHY.

>> WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN, IT IS

YOUR TURN.

WHEN IT IS NOT YOUR TURN, IT'S

NOT YOUR TURN.

LUCKILY, I CAME IN WITH ALL OF

THE OLD STARS GOING OUT AND IT

WAS MY TURN FOR A WHILE.

AND YOU KNOW, GOT TEAMED UP WITH

KOBE, AND IT WAS OUR TURN FOR A

WHILE.

AND SPLIT UP AND IT WAS STILL MY

TURN.

AND FOR ME RIGHT HERE, AND THE

OTHER GUYS GROWING UP.

I PLAYED 19 YEARS BUT I HAD A

STRONG 15 YEARS, WHERE IT WAS

SHAQ, SHAQ.

AND I KNEW THAT ONE DAY FATHER

TIME WAS GOING TO SAY, TIME FOR

YOU TO SIT DOWN AND RELAX.

>> SURELY YOU EXPECTED THAT

GIVEN A CAREER YOU HAD IN THE

NBA, THAT IT WILL BE A CINCH

THAT YOU WOULD BE INDUCTED IN

THE HALL OF FAME.

>> I EXPECTED IT NOT BECAUSE I

WAS A GREAT PLAYER.

I EXPECTED IT BECAUSE EVERYTHING

MY MOTHER AND FATHER HAVE TAUGHT

ME HAS COME TRUE.

YOU DON'T NEED TO FOLLOW HIM, HE

IS GETTING THAT LITTLE $100.

YOU GO TO SCHOOL AND YOU GET A

EDUCATION AND YOU HAVE 100,000.

EVERYTHING THEY TOLD ME HAS COME

TRUE.

I WISH MY FATHER WAS STILL HERE

TO SHARE MY MOMENT WITH HIM.

THERE WERE SOMETIMES I DIDN'T

BELIEVE IT MYSELF.

I'M GOOD, BUT I'M NOT THAT GOOD.

THAT MICHAEL JORDAN, OH, I WOULD

NEVER GET TO THAT LEVEL.

THEN MY TURN.

AND EVERY TIME I STUCK TO MY, I

DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD GUNS,

BUT EVERY TIME I STUCK TO MY

PRINCIPLES, I WAS NEVER LET

DOWN.

PEOPLE COME AND THEY SEE CERTAIN

NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY SEE RISK

AND WON'T MAKE THE INVESTMENTS,

WON'T GIVE IT THE TIME OF DAY.

WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT THEY DON'T

SEE?

>> I SEE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.

I SEE RELATIVES.

I SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE IT.

I SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO SAVE T

THE LITTLE RIFFRAFF THAT ARE

DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING CAN BE

CONTROLLED.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS OUR JOBS

TO KEEP IT BEAUTIFUL.

AND I AM INVESTING A LOT AND

URGE EVERYONE TO COME AND BUILD

IN IT.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

>> YOU CAN CARE ABOUT ANY PLACE

IN THE WORLD.

>> IF I WANT TO KEEP MY

SHARPNESS, I HAVE GOT TO COME

BACK HOME AND GET MY PARTS

REPLACED, PERIOD.

THAT'S WHY.

THEY DON'T BUILD THIS SECTION

ANYWHERE ELSE.

>> YOU DID SAY SEXINESS, RIGHT?

>> SEXINESS.