Famed hoopster Shaquille O’Neal picked up the tab for the funeral of Shaniya Davis after being moved by national news coverage about the 5-year-old North Carolina girl police say was sold into child prostitution by her mother, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

Authorities believe Shaniya was kidnapped, raped, and murdered after being reported missing Nov. 10. Her body was found six days later on a roadside about 30 miles from her hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Her funeral was Sunday.

In a statement released by his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Thanksgiving Thursday, the famed hoopster — a dad himself — said he was touched after hearing the little girl’s story on The Nancy Grace Show.

“What happened to her was tragic. I wanted her to have a funeral that would be as beautiful as she was,” O’Neal said in the statement.