Shaquille O’Neal faces a big task.
The 7-foot-1 NBA icon stares up at his next big challenge: Jordan Wilmore, a former professional basketball player with a lifelong dream of becoming a police officer.
Wilmore, who stands at over 7 feet tall, completed the police academy with a spot already reserved for him at the Kemah Police Department, KHOU reported.
But the 24-year-old aspiring officer, who would become Texas’ tallest officer, failed the state peace officer exam by one point, scoring a 69 instead of the required 70.
“At first I was down, but I thought, you know, I’m still young. If you fail, you get right back up. You can’t quit too soon,” an upbeat Wilmore told the outlet.
Hearing of Wilmore’s setback, O’Neal contacted Kemah Police Chief Raymond Garivey and offered to sponsor the longtime recruit as he restarts the process of becoming a police officer.
“I want him to really focus on this because it’s commendable that a kid wants to be a cop. I love cops. They made me who I am,” O’Neal said.
“In my 34-year career, I’ve seen others fail, but I also see others give up. Once they’re done, they’re done. That’s not the case here. He wants to serve,” Garivey said of Wilmore.
The four-time NBA champion turned business extraordinaire has received several honorary titles from law enforcement agencies and has served as a reserve officer in several departments, including the Los Angeles Port Police and the Miami Beach Police. according to Police1.
“I discovered him through jealousy,” O’Neal told KHOU. “I thought I was the tallest and most handsome cop in the world.”
It took O’Neal himself between five and seven years to graduate from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Academy.
“I just wanted to let him know that he has my full support. I will follow you brother, make sure you get it done,” he said.
The Kemah Police Department, just outside Houston, has prepared for Wilmore’s arrival, only to find that their equipment is not approved for tall people.
“The knees are hitting the dashboard,” Garivey told the station after Wilmore rode in a police car. “It’s very, very tight.”
The police chief is also looking for uniforms that suit the recruit.
“He wants to serve,” Garivey said. “He really wants to make a difference. I am proud that he has chosen the thin blue line.”
For added motivation, O’Neal ordered a custom car that will be ready for Wilmore if he passes the exam.
“I’m very grateful that he helped me and is there, and that he’s a mentor that helped me get through this,” Wilmore said.
The Memphis, Tennessee, native put aside his law enforcement ambitions because he was told his 6-foot-4 height would make him millions on the field. according to CBS News.
He played college basketball at Missouri, Northwestern State and Austin Peay State University before heading overseas to try professional ball.
“It was hard for me to share my dreams or the things I wanted to do growing up because it was, ‘Well, you should just focus on basketball because it can make you millions,’” Wilmore said in September.
But he was always focused on helping others and moved back to the United States to pursue his dreams.
“I’ve always loved helping other people,” he says. “That’s just who I am. I would do anything to help whoever I can. There’s really nothing else I want to do.”
Wilmore wants to become a police officer so badly that he has already turned down all offers from the NBA.
“No, I’ll stay here,” he said.
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