Shaquille O’Neal was an exceptional player back in his high school and college days. He replicated the same in his professional career in the NBA, winning four championships. Shaq was born to a single mother, Lucille O’Neal. However, as Shaq grew older, Lucille met Philip A Harrison. The couple played an important role in Shaq’s career and raised him as a responsible person. Once, Shaq’s father, who was an Army Sergeant, warned him of the after-effects of hard drugs.

Shaq’s father had a big influence as he went on to retire as among the greatest to ever play the game. The former NBA star had a tough childhood and the consumption of drugs was common in such an environment. However, Shaq had Philip, who used to warn him of wrongdoings and to stay away from drugs.

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Shaquille O’Neal recently appeared in Logan Paul’s ‘Impaulsive’ podcast. He talked about his deep relationship with his father. Shaq also shared how his father warned him about drugs.

Shaquille O’Neal discusses how his father made him stay away from drugs

Shaq joined Logan Paul in the 346th episode of his ‘Impaulsive’ podcast. During the podcast, Shaq revealed that his father raised him through ‘horror stories’. He also added that he used to get in ‘trouble’ whenever an athlete did something wrong.

“My father was a drill sergeant. So the way he raised me was through horror stories,” Shaq said on Impaulsive.

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“It’s a true fact, 65 to 70% of all professional athletes when they’re done three to five years after, their plan have nothing. And I used to always. So every time an athlete did something crazy, I would get in trouble. No, seriously, a true story when I was 12-13. My father came home one day, and he was crying. He said, ‘if I ever catch you messing with Coke I will kill you.’ So I’m 13. I’m like ‘Dad I’m a Pepsi guy.’ But he wasn’t playing.”

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Shaq later revealed that a college basketball player named Len Bias had died of a drug overdose. That led to Philip warning him about drug consumption. Shaq continued and revealed how his parents made him understand the importance of education, business, and partnerships. It clearly worked as he is now among the richest athletes in the world.

Who was Len Bias, who died of a drug overdose?

Len was a college basketball star who attended the University of Maryland. He was even compared to Michael Jordan, back in 1986. Boston Celtics drafted Len as the 2nd overall pick during the 1986 NBA draft. After the draft, he returned to the Maryland campus, where he consumed drugs with some of his friends.

However, after the consumption of drugs, Len reportedly had a seizure and died. A few weeks after his death, the US House of Representatives came up with anti-drug legislation. This legislation was also known as the ‘Len Bias Law’.