Shaquille O'Neal helps find home for family of paralyzed boy in Atlanta

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Shaquille O'Neal helps find home for family of paralyzed boy
Former L.A. Laker Shaquille O'Neal once again showed his generosity by helping the family of a paralyzed Atlanta boy find a new home.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Former Los Angeles Laker Shaquille O'Neal once again showed his generosity by helping the family of a paralyzed Atlanta boy find a new home.

Isaiah Payton, 12, was paralyzed from the chest down when he was shot at a football game. O'Neal says Payton and his family were living in an apartment that was not accessible for people with disabilities, so the NBA great helped them move to a new home. The Basketball Hall of Famer donated a year's rent and said he would help furnish the home.

Payton and another teen were shot in August after a football game between two high schools. Payton will require long-term care because of his injuries. The other teen was treated and released. Police do not believe either teen was the intended target of the shooter.

Payton's mother said she left her job to care for her son, which added financial stress to the family.