“I want to be strong, dominant,” Shaquille O’Neal once stated. Standing at a massive 7’1″ and weighing 325 pounds, the former Lakers regular was more than just a player; he was a force of nature who could shatter backboards and intimidate opponents with a single, menacing glare. But Shaq’s legacy extends beyond basketball—his children, many of whom are also carving out paths in basketball, carry his towering influence in their veins. However, there was an instance that resulted in Shaq’s ex-wife taking a different approach to her son.

On a recent episode of the Growzone Podcast, hosted by Pastor Keion Henderson, Shaunie Henderson opened up about her parenting measures—including one unforgettable moment involving her son, Shaqir and the story unraveled when Pastor Keion asked about her parenting philosophy.

“I would say stuff like if you want their two front teeth to remain there, please listen. But you know, all kids are different. I didn’t have to do that with anybody else. (But) Shaqir, like chokehold you know but it is what it is. I might be smaller but you’re still alive. You might be a little better than bruised. I know I didn’t have to whoop him but I did have to parent him differently,” said Shaunie during the interview.

Although the exact situation that happened hasn’t been disclosed by the 50-year-old it can be speculated that Shaq’s youngest son might have accidentally clasped her which resulted in her taking a more serious step that she usually didn’t have to do for the other O’Neal kids.

Shaquille O’Neal and Shaunie first crossed paths in 1996 when Shaq had just moved from Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers and was also a period when he was at the peak of his NBA dominance. Their relationship blossomed quickly, and they got married in a secret wedding in 2002 and gave birth to Shaqir a year later. Now the 21-year-old also has been making waves in College Basketball by playing as a guard for the Florida A&M Rattlers.

Now coming back to the podcast, interestingly, the co-host and Shaunie’s current husband Keion regarded Shaunie’s parenting measures as opposite to a more modern dynamic of parenting done by parents in today’s world.

“So in that instance, you were modeling the opposite of what I read recently about this concept called gentle parenting. Gentle parenting is that you have to be vulnerable with your vulnerabilities and you have to share your innermost feelings with the child in a moment that you are not being gentle,” said Keion during the podcast.

Shaunie and Keion have been married for two years now and over these years they have shared a lot about their relationship publicly through different shows and podcasts. While the details of the specific confrontation remain nuanced, Shaunie’s approach reflects a blend of maternal protection, assertiveness, and a determination to maintain respect within her family structure. However, even though she was hard this time doesn’t mean she’s hard on Shaqir all the time.

When Shaunie showed her love to Shaqir O’Neal

Shaqir embarked on his college basketball journey with Florida A&M University earlier this month. But his start against the TCU Horned Frogs hasn’t been as good as it was expected to be. With just 15 minutes into the game, the young forward had only been able to score 2 points. Most speculated this performance was related to the absence of his parents from the first game. However, since then Shaunie has taken the responsibility to keep her son motivated.

Just a few weeks back, the 50-year-old actress commented on a video, in which Shaqir can be seen pulling off an impressive backdoor slam just like his father. “That’s my boooy,” she wrote as the comment. She even reshared the video on her Instagram and captioned it with,” That’s my boy! I love you and I’m so proud of you son.” 

However, the list doesn’t end here, the Basketball Wives actress recently shared a gameplay snippet from Shaqir’s game on her IG story and wrote the caption, “I’m going to ALWAYS be his biggest fan! @shaqironeall.” The 21-year-old is currently averaging 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game and showed a massive improvement in his last game against Trinity Baptist College where he scored 26 points.

Although the young forward has just played in 5 games till now, it can be speculated, with his mother’s support he’ll be able to give an elite performance in the future. What are your views on Shaunie’s approach to parenting? Tell us in the comment section below!