Thanks to his good nature and an NBA career like no other, Shaquille O’Neal has garnered millions of fans around the world. Moreover, he is one of the most recognizable faces in the media industry. Fans eagerly wait for his jokes and analysis on ‘Inside the NBA.’
Shaq is also a very kind man. He is known for helping strangers out and he never fails to give back to society. Another wonderful trait of O’Neal is that he never judges anyone on the basis of their background or race. This is due to the upbringing he received.
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During an interview, Shaquille O’Neal revealed why he never judges anyone based on race, religion, or anything, for that matter. Shaq said, “Even though I’m a hard-core brother in some ways, I’m not on that racist bandwagon. Never been. Never will be. My mother and father taught me to respect people as people.”
“My mother and father taught me to respect people as people. My father is Muslim. You could say he’s down with Malcolm X.”
Shaquille O’Neal received a good upbringing from his parents
Shaquille O’Neal is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA. He has 4 NBA titles to his name with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. Individual accolades like 3 Finals MVP awards and a league MVP award just add to his fantastic career resume.
However, he could have achieved none of that without the help of his parents. O’Neal grew up in a hostile environment and his parents made sure he does not venture into the wrong path.
Shaq’s stepfather, Phillip Harrison, was a Sergeant in the US Army and he was of Jamaican descent. During an episode of “Shaq Life”, the NBA legend talked about how his father whooped him in order to keep him on the right path.
“My father used to come into class and whoop me in front of everybody. I was a major high-level juvenile delinquent that could’ve definitely been in trouble all the time,” said Shaq.
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Edited by
Arunaditya Aima