'I found David Beckham's wallet on the street and he questioned me about the money inside'

'I found David Beckham's wallet on the street and he questioned me about the money inside' Newspoint | 2025-06-07 02:39:14

Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal once found wallet and couldn't resist pulling a prank on the football superstar. The pair, who have been friends for years since Beckham's stint with LA Galaxy, share a playful rapport. O'Neal, fondly known as Shaq and a former LA Lakers player, recounted the amusing incident during his appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. "I was walking one day in Beverly Hills, and I found a wallet," the 53-year-old shared.

"Usually when I find wallets, I just take all the money out and I just throw them," he quipped, adding that this time it was different because it was a rather fancy wallet. Upon discovering Beckham's ID inside, Shaq decided to have a bit of fun at the footballer's expense. "First I played a joke," the American basketball icon revealed.

"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.'"

Shaq, who retired from professional basketball in 2012, is hailed as one of the sport's greatest players. Standing tall at 7ft 1in, he clinched four NBA titles - three with the Lakers during the Kobe Bryant era and one with the Miami Heat.

In 2000, he was recognised as NBA MVP and made 15 All-Star appearances throughout a distinguished career that also included spells with the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics.

Beckham hung up his professional football boots a year after O'Neal in 2013, having played for top-tier clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and PSG. He also represented England 115 times and donned the captain's armband for six years.

Although now residing in the UK with his wife Victoria, Beckham still frequently jets across the Atlantic. He is a part-owner of MLS franchise Inter Miami, who grabbed headlines in 2023 by signing Lionel Messi.