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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 14: Shaquille O’Neal attends the ESPN Gala: “30 For 30: This Magic Moment” Screening during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at SVA Theatre on April 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Pont/WireImage)
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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 14: Shaquille O’Neal attends the ESPN Gala: “30 For 30: This Magic Moment” Screening during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at SVA Theatre on April 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Pont/WireImage)
There are few NBA legends who are as loved as Shaquille O’Neal. The gentle giant is known for his humor, pranks, and his charity initiatives that truly make him special.
While he might be one of the kindest people out there, he did not start out like this. He was the class bully during his high school days. However, Shaquille O’Neal changed for the good.
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Talking about his high school days, Shaq reveals what changed him for the good during his high school days.
Shaquille O’Neal talks about an important event in his life
Shaquille O’Neal used his physicality during his days in the NBA. Furthermore, he used this trait of his during high school too. O’Neal has admitted to being a bully during his school days.
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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 27: Shaquille O’Neal reacts during the first half of a game between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
However, an important event in his life changed his entire thinking. While earlier he thought of geeks and nerds as someone who he should mingle with, a geek changed his life.
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Shaq said, “A geek saved my life. Junior high school, right before a state tournament. I got a 68. I got one test left, everybody’s bullying this guy. I’m like, you know, maybe he was cool. Well, you never said anything, I never said anything. We called him McDougal. I wish I could remember his name.
He added, “So, everybody’s messing with him. I was like, “Ya’ll mess with McDougal, you got to mess with me. So, I was sitting and then he came to the lunch tables like, “mad appreciate it. I hear you have some problems with the government, I can help you out.”
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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 06: Shaquille O’Neal appears to promote “Toys for Tots” during the AOL BUILD Series at AOL HQ on December 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images)
Furthermore, he reflected on how his negative attitude affected him. Shaq talked about developing a low self-esteem and how he felt he was never smart enough.
Shaquille O’Neal turned into one of the best NBA players ever. He won 4 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat among various other individual accolades. He retired with one of the most glorious careers ever and an average of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
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