Shaquille O'Neal Lends A Helping Hand To 7'3" Police Recruit

“Wow, you’re tall, you must play basketball!” Anyone who stands 6’6” or more has probably heard this at least a hundred times in their life. For Jordan Wilmore, who stands 7’3” and 245 pounds, that number is probably in the thousands. 

For most of his 24 years, everyone assumed he would be a shoo-in for a career as a professional basketball player, one that would allow him to cash big checks and enjoy the NBA lifestyle. But Wilmore had other plans. He wanted a career in law enforcement.

The Memphis native gave basketball a legitimate shot, playing four years of college ball at Missouri, Northwestern State, and Austin Peay, averaging just 1.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in limited minutes over 63 games before taking his talents overseas to the Philippines. But it was never his true passion. While others saw a basketball player, Wilmore saw a police officer. So he walked away from pro ball, enrolled in the police academy, and started chasing his actual dream in Kemah, Texas.

Then reality hit hard. After grinding through the academy, Wilmore fell short of passing the state exam by one point. That’s like losing the championship game on a single free-throw. 

That's where Shaquille O'Neal enters the picture. O’Neal, who holds several honorary law enforcement titles himself, heard about Wilmore's story and immediately felt a connection. "I found out about him through jealousy. I thought I was the tallest, handsomest cop in the world," the four-time NBA champion joked.

While there was humor in his comment, there was also genuine respect. O’Neal decided to cover Wilmore's expenses for the next five months so he could focus entirely on retaking the exam without worrying about bills. 

"First, I was down, but then I'm like, you know, I'm still young. You fail, you got to get right back up," Wilmore said. He's treating this setback as fuel rather than failure, knowing he's got one of basketball's biggest legends in his corner.

It's a reminder that sometimes the most powerful assists don't happen on the court. As a sign of his faith in the young recruit, O’Neal has ordered a custom-made police cruiser that will accommodate Wilmore’s frame, rather than having him squeeze into the standard vehicle with his knees up to the dash. Now it’s not just Wilmore betting on himself; O’Neal is betting on him, too.