Shaquille O'Neal promised "the best celebrity renovation" ever. 

That's only partly hyperbole from the garrulous 7-foot-1 NBA Hall of Fame center about his appearance on CBS' "Secret Celebrity Renovation" (Friday, 8 EDT/PDT).

O'Neal, 50, shows his familial love in the episode dedicated to renovating the Orlando, Florida, home of his Uncle Roy O'Neal. The unselfish uncle put up Shaq's entire family when the budding superstar was the 1992 first-round draft pick of the Orlando Magic. He never asked for anything in return, not even tickets to see his superstar nephew play. 

What makes the episode truly special is Shaq's effortless star personality. 

"He's so hilarious," says "Boston" Rob Mariano, the "Survivor" star who is the show's celebrity contractor. "People might know that, but to see that in real life is really special." 

Shaq promises:Best 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' ever; laments 'despicable' part of 'Winning Time'

Right off the bat, Shaq pushes Mariano to install a hot tub in his uncle's living room, so that the bubbling tub is the first thing everyone sees when they walk in the house.

It seems like a joke, but Shaq keeps bringing up the "Shaq-cuzzi." Interior designer Sabrina Soto is not thrilled with the idea. "It was like, 'Are you serious?' Sabrina is a serious designer, she's not going to allow that. But Shaq wouldn't let it go," says Mariano.

Finally, Mariano agreed to install a hot tub in the backyard. Shaq was the happiest guy about the tub, even more than Uncle Roy.

"Sometimes you have to sit back and let people do what they do," O'Neal told us after filming the episode. That's his explanation for why he seemed content sitting on the couch while the professionals did the renovation work, when most celebs pitch in.

"My arthritis just kicked in," was one excuse he used to comically get out of work. After betting Mariano couldn't kick down an unwanted door, Shaq not only declines to pay the $40 bet, he makes Mariano replace the door solo. "You kicked it down, you assemble it," he says.

"Shaq does what Shaq wants to do," says Mariano.

As his basketball playing days proved, a motivated Shaq is an awesome sight to behold. When he got down to renovation business, O'Neal destroyed shelves and unwanted counters with blows from his fist and a sledgehammer, all with hilarious commentary. Especially after ingesting his sugar.

"I'm Black Thor," he proclaims while wielding the sledgehammer against shelves that don't stand a chance. 

"I hate you, Charles Barkley," he randomly blurts out while in destruction mode. "Barkley sucks." 

There could (and should) be an entire episode devoted solely to Shaq destroying houses. Naturally, he doesn't need a ladder to scrap old paint off the ceiling, so he proved to be incredibly handy.

Growing up, a big treat was being allowed to sit in one of his uncle's pristine cars. So O'Neal paid that forward, reaching into his own pocket to buy a new Toyota 4Runner. He sends one of his friends to pick up the car the way most people request groceries, while insisting the car be a specific shade of green.

He picks up a lime-green rope and a tree branch and says, "Between these two colors." Sure enough, the 4Runner has that spanking shade of green. Uncle Roy loves it, calling it, "Money green." 

The best part of surprise renovations is normally the happy tears shed when seeing the completed job. But neither Shaq nor his uncle Roy are criers, even while beholding a completely redone house (with a hot tub). 

"This is how I cry," Shaq says, flexing his chest muscle with a deadpan look.

Not a tear is shed. But Uncle Roy's voice does quiver a bit when thanking his nephew, saying, "I love him very, very much."

Says Shaq: "This is probably one of the best things I've done in my life."