Shaq sidesteps officials to dunk one for fans

He gave four of his teenaged Chinese fans an autographed basketball each, only to have school authorities confiscate the students' dream gifts.

But NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal yesterday showed his heart was as big as his stature when he sent his four fans new balls to keep.

The 7-foot-1, 325-pound Cleveland Cavaliers center first met the students for a friendly round on the court at the Mianyang Elementary Middle School in quake-hit Sichuan province on Tuesday, as part of his five-day trip to China.