For charity, peanut butter and Shaq are the perfect combination

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal is partial to the kind of peanut butter that has the grape jelly already mixed in, but any of the sticky stuff would do for his latest project.

The Phoenix Suns center teamed up with Feed the Children on Monday night to collect peanut butter that will be distributed by the Oklahoma City-based charity to needy families across the country. People who wanted to attend a "PB & Shaq" appearance at an Oklahoma City church were asked to bring 10 jars apiece. Some brought much more.

O'Neal said he had known Feed the Children founder Larry Jones for some time, and he was paying back Jones for helping with one of his own charity events.

"Me and him, we're like the Steve Nash and Shaq of Feed the Children," Shaq said.

A tractor-trailer with giant pictures of O'Neal and teammate Amare Stoudemire was parked in front of Victory Church, and officials said about 36,000 jars had been collected.

"It's what I was taught by my parents. My parents always told me to just help those in need. That's basically the main reason," Shaq said.

"It's an order from mommy and daddy, so when mommy and daddy says, 'Do it,' you've got to do it."

O'Neal also made a $1,000 donation that was matched by Damien Wilkins of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their teams play Tuesday night at the Ford Center. Former Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer also stopped by with two shopping carts full of peanut butter and outbid an audience member to buy a holiday photo shoot with Shaq for $3,000.

The charity is also taking $5 donations via text message.

Shaq took time to admire Switzer's Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl ring and answered questions from children picked out of the audience, including one who asked what keeps him going when he had already won four NBA titles.

His first answer: "Frosted Flakes."

And then the real one: "I started out a long time ago, and I have a contract. There's two years left on my contract and after that, we'll see what happens. I may come to your school and be your teacher or your principal."

O'Neal told the crowd to follow their dreams, even though "in certain situations, it might not seem like they can become possible."

"I've had plenty of dreams and I've accomplished most of them. Even though the movies I've done were terrible, I always wanted to be a movie star," he said, adding that he also wanted to become a police officer. He had to return honorary deputy badges earlier this year after sheriffs in Arizona and Virginia heard a rap song he'd done, but he was subsequently honored by an Alabama sheriff.

Shaq also stepped away from a comment that he didn't think the SuperSonics' move from Seattle to Oklahoma City, where they were subsequently renamed the Thunder, was a good idea.

"I was instructed by a guy from Seattle to say that," O'Neal said. "Oklahoma City fans are very rowdy fans. They're into their sports, and it's a tough place to play in.

"Seattle had the franchise for a while. That didn't work out. Now Oklahoma has it, and I wish the city and I wish the franchise well."

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