“Once I Learn About Those Things Then I’ll Think About the NBA”: Young Shaquille O’Neal Had His Priorities Straight on What’s More Important Than His Own Basketball Career

Published 07/19/2022, 1:51 PM EDT

Shaquille O’Neal ended his NBA career as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In this rare resurfaced video, his LSU coach Dale Brown and his father Phillip Harrison reveal the foundation that allowed him to be so successful on the court and beyond. At the end of the video, Shaquille O’Neal talks about his priorities while in college.

Shaq has extensively discussed his father Phillip Harrison’s influence in his life. In fact, Harrison served in the military as a drill sergeant. And he tried to instill in a young Shaquille O’Neal the discipline and work ethic required to be a champion.

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In other words, Sergeant Harrison’s antiquated ways of parenting kept Shaq away from delinquency. This video reveals how much importance Shaq’s father ascribed to his education.

Shaquille O’Neal lists his priorities while in college

Shaquille O’Neal had his priorities straight in college. As he reveals in the video, he wanted to learn about finance and wealth management during his time at LSU. In other words, he didn’t treat his college years merely as a stepping stone to the NBA.

“I wanna know the basics on how to handle my money,” the Big Diesel revealed. As it turns out, Shaq didn’t want to end up entrusting his wealth to somebody else. “Once I learn those things, then I’ll think about the NBA,” he added.

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As it turns out, Shaq’s inclination towards education came from his father’s teachings. Sergeant Harrison talked about the significance of education in their household. “We stress in our family the education,” he said. “That’s the key to everything, you know“.

Shaq’s coach on his progress in college

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Shaq’s coach at LSU Dale Brown didn’t hesitate to rave about the future Lakers legend’s progress in the institution. In fact, he talked about the 7’1″ giant’s qualities off the court, like honesty, humility, and integrity.

“He’s a scholar,” said Brown about Shaq’s education. “He was our leading student academically at the end of his freshman year,” he added.

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Incidentally, Shaq’s inclination towards financial education would benefit him profusely in his career later on. In fact, the Big Man would go on to make a multitude of wise decisions and quality investments.

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Written by:

Satagni Sikder is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and has been following the NBA since 2017. Moreover, he supports the Dallas Mavericks, and unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic is his favorite player.

Edited by:

Arunaditya Aima

“Once I Learn About Those Things Then I’ll Think About the NBA”: Young Shaquille O’Neal Had His Priorities Straight on What’s More Important Than His Own Basketball Career

Shaquille O’Neal lists his priorities while in college

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Shaq’s coach on his progress in college