Class Act

Shaq pays for funeral of NC girl
AP

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal has paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl whose kidnapping and slaying received national news coverage.

The Fayetteville Observer in North Carolina reported Thursday that the Cleveland Cavaliers player was touched by the case of Shaniya Davis.

More than 2,000 people attended her funeral Sunday. The girl's body was found Nov. 16 beside a rural road.

Her mother, Antionette Davis, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution. Mario McNeill is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping.

The funeral home declined to say what the service cost.

A Cavaliers official did not return calls from The Associated Press early Thursday. The funeral home declined comment.

I usually try not to get too serious in the BYB. There's enough somber news to keep us all in the dumps without me joining the fray but I had to give Shaq props for paying for this little girl's funeral. It's terrible that she was never given the chance to have any joy or a chance at happiness when she was alive but at least she was given some consideration in her death. Shaq continues to be a class act off the court and we'd be fotunate as a sports society to have 20 more guys just like him.