Jealous of Single Mother’s New Love, Shaquille O’Neal Once Gave a Bold Ultimatum

Published 03/20/2024, 12:25 PM EDT

Curiosity Stream on their YouTube channel, uploaded a clip from Beyond the Spotlight: Shaquille O’Neal. Showcasing Shaquille O’Neal’s early childhood problems and how he dealt with them. Lucille O’Neal, Shaq’s mom raised him alone. She decided to name him Shaquille Rashan because it meant Little Warrior. Her belief was always strong and felt her son would fight through any hurdles and would justify his name.

Shaq has always credited his basketball success to his mother and stepfather. In the video, Shaq explained how her mother worked hard to find a job and help them move into an apartment, where she would meet his stepfather Sergeant Philip Harrison.

Shaquille O’Neal and her mom were each other’s only support. But when Lucille met Harrison things changed. She claims that Shaq might have been a little jealous, and even gave an ultimatum to his would-be stepfather. “Shaquille made a deal with Phil he said if you want my mother you got to take me and he let him know that we came as a package Shaquille and I,” she said. It would take some time for things to smooth over as Shaq was young and rebellious. Ultimately, they ended up forming a strong bond and were a happy family.

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Her mother recalls how when Shaq was growing up, he differed from other students and would go out of his way to fit in.

Shaquille O’Neal’s troubled childhood

Even though he had a height advantage, other children still bullied Shaq. They also spoke very rudely to him and continued to pick on him since he never responded. Lucille believed at that time Shaq lacked courage and self-confidence.

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Shaquille O’Neal explained how it was not just his height that made him stand apart. It was his stammering that other children would trouble him about. To avoid bullying he started misbehaving with others. Soon he became a follower of other guys, to fit in the group. He said, “I was a follower you say to me let’s go steal some gum I’d say let’s go. If you say to me hey that old lady she sleep on the bus her purse is open I see some money, I try to sneak over there and take it I would do it.”

He could stay away from such distractions later on because of his stepfather’s disciplined routine. The extraordinary journey of Shaquille O’Neal was filled with major challenges just like the average joe. He could deal with it because of constant family support who would guide him the right way.

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Written by:

Pranav Kotai is an NBA beat writer at EssentiallySports. With a master's in sports management and a lifelong passion for basketball, Pranav has an eye for understanding NBA like no other. Pranav is an open encyclopedia of all storylines, with a well-rounded approach to his writing, especially for his favorites like NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.

Edited by:

Caroline Joseph

Jealous of Single Mother’s New Love, Shaquille O’Neal Once Gave a Bold Ultimatum

Shaquille O’Neal’s troubled childhood

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