NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal once found David Beckham's wallet on the street - and tried to charge him an absolute fortune to get it back.
The pair know each other well, having crossed paths during Beckham's five-year spell in Los Angeles with the LA Galaxy. Shaq, himself a former LA Lakers star, explained that when he discovered the wallet, he considered pocketing the cash, but changed his mind after realising who it belonged to.
"I was walking one day in Beverly Hills and I found a wallet," the American, 53, recalled on an episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden last year. "Usually when I find wallets, I just take all the money out and I just throw them, but this was a nice wallet."
After spotting Beckham's ID inside, he decided to play a prank on the former Manchester United and England superstar by pretending to be an opportunistic member of the public. "First I played a joke," Shaq explained.
"I was like, 'I have your wallet, it's going to cost you a million dollars to get it back'. But he knew it was me. [Beckham said] 'Shaq, stop playing'. I was like 'Dave, I found your wallet'. The funny thing is he [Beckham] said, 'There was some money in this wallet, you know what happened?' And I was like, 'Nope.'"
Shaquille O'Neal and David Beckham shaking hands
Shaquille O'Neal and David Beckham have been friends for years (Image: Getty Images)
O'Neal, who retired in 2012, is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Standing at an imposing 7ft 1in, O'Neal won four NBA championships - three with the LA Lakers alongside the late Kobe Bryant, and one with the Miami Heat.
He was named NBA MVP in 2000 and earned a remarkable 15 All-Star selections during his illustrious career, which also saw him play for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics.
Beckham, meanwhile, retired a year after Shaq in 2013 after a glittering football career with Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain. He also earned 115 caps for England and captained the national team for six years.
Although Beckham, 50, and his wife Victoria have resettled in the UK, his transatlantic schedule keeps him frequently in the US. He is a co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami, the club that famously signed Lionel Messi in 2023.