Shaquille O’Neal is an NBA legend. He made his own legacy when he partnered up with Kobe Bryant at the Los Angeles Lakers and won a three-peat. After that, he left the Lakers. He continued to get better every game and every team he played for. Shaq went on to become one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA.

Shaq also happens to be among the top 20 richest athletes ever. He owns multiple businesses, is an NBA analyst, a DJ, and a full-time entertainer. His investments are also among the many reasons why he is one of the richest athletes in the world.

But he didn’t always have it this easy. His childhood was tough, and he, at first, didn’t have a great relationship with his stepfather.

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Shaquille O’Neal did not have a fluent relationship with his father at first

Shaq once spent one million dollars in just a day to buy his father a Mercedes along with a car each for his mom and himself. But his relationship with his father was complicated at first. In the new book, Shaq Talks Back, Shaq revealed the whole story of how he started to admire and respect his father.

His mother Lucille revealed, “Before it was all of us, it was me and Shaquille. And when Phil came around, Phil kind of invaded our space. Shaquille was just two years old. We had that bond, that special bond with mother and son. His attitude was, “This is my mother, what are you doing here?” I told my husband, “If you want me, you gonna have to take my son.”

Also read: 20 Year Old Shaquille O’Neal Spent $1 Million in a Single Day Only to Make His Mom and Dad Happy

He wrote what his mother said about his relationship with his father. She said that her son was hard to manage at first. It was just him and his mother for quite some time and he got everything he wanted. Lucille did everything she could to make her son happy but Shaq’s treatment of his father who had just come into their lives was not fair. However, in all fairness, he was just a child and it must have been difficult for him. Shaq’s mom said, “At the same time, my husband tried to teach him that in life, you don’t always get everything that you want. The world treats you different than your parents. Things are not always gonna go your way. He didn’t take to my husband right away. And my son came before him. — It took a little while, but Shaquille and Phil finally warmed up to each other.”

Shaq has come to respect and love his father for many years now. He always keeps his father in the highest regard and always mentions how his strictness helped Shaq become a better player and a better person.