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Five Generous Athletes that Tip Big

Bryan Nichols • Jun 11, 2019

You can learn a lot about a person by how they tip. If they leave a paltry $25 on an $800 bill (we’re looking at you, Mr. Pippen) then it’s possible that they aren’t the quality human being you thought they were. They may not be bad people, but they’re certainly cheapskates.


On the other end of the spectrum are those athletes that are truly considerate of other people and generously give back. These are the heroes of hospitality. The kings of kindness. The champions of the everyman. Here are five athletes that redefine what it is to be a good tipper.


Sealver Siliga

Siliga, a defensive tackle for a number of NFL teams, takes his Christmas cheer very seriously. He spent Christmas Eve, 2017 eating out with a few friends at a local Applebees. At the conclusion of the meal, he asked the manager how many people were working that night. He then left a $1,000 tip, enough to give $100 to each of the ten people he was told were on staff that evening. Merry Christmas indeed!


David Beckham

A gentleman to his core, David Beckham is a famously generous footballer. While still a player with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham once joined a few teammates for drinks at a local restaurant. While he sipped mineral water his teammates racked up a $100 tab for beer and food. Not only did Beckham pick up the tip on a meal he barely participated in, he left the waitress $1,000. Tipping ten times his bill amount qualifies David as a saint among tippers.


Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq is famous for being one of the most dominant players in NBA history as well as an enormously generous tipper. It’s reported that he regularly asks his waiters and waitresses what they’d like for a tip and then obliges. Once a waitress asked him for $4,000, and without batting an eye he penciled in that amount.


Tamba Hali

Most recently a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, Hali puts most of his fellow players to shame in the tipping department. Once, while entertaining family and friends at the Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao, Tamba managed to rack up just over $1800 in charges. Even though this already included roughly $300 in gratuity, Hali added an additional $1,000. Apparently, the steak and the service were exceptional that night.


Phil Mickelson

Golf legend Mickelson is another tipper that’s known for being generous to a fault. On one occasion Phil spread the love even though he’d just lost the 2006 U.S. Open by one shot. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Mickelson went around to each of the golf club staff members that had helped him throughout his stay and tipped them each between $1,000 and $1,500. He left the club, having spent over $10,000 in tips, only to turn around when he realized he’d missed a few locker room attendants. If Beckham is a saint among tippers, then Mickelson is the Pope.




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