Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal stops in LaGrange

Meeting the former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Shaquille O’Neal at Shirley’s Country Kitchen on Friday was an early birthday present for Sgt. Everette Brockington of the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.

“He just stopped to get some gas and moved on up 85,” said Brockington, who will turn 51 on Sunday.

The restaurant is located on Whitesville Road near Interstate 85, a popular spot for law enforcement. The sergeant said he and two other deputies were on a late lunch break when a waitress walked over to get something out of storage and mentioned Shaquille was in the building.

“Me and two other deputies cleared the table for him,” Brockington said. “I said Superman. That will never happen again in my lifetime.”

Brockington is an Atlanta fan but has always been fond of Shaquille because of his mother, Martha Lee Brockington, a die-hard Lakers fan. “When I told her I met Shaq, her favorite player, she almost had a fit,” he said. “She loves the way Shaq honored his mother. She has been a die-hard fan ever since.”

Shaquille was humble during the encounter. “We walked in there and he said alright y’all got me,” the deputy said of the former NBA star.

O’Neal won four NBA championships, three with the Lakers and one with Miami Heat during his illustrious career.

This story was originally published December 30, 2017 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal stops in LaGrange."