Shaquille O’Neal has always been an open-minded individual. While he may do some questionable things for comedy, his real self often comes through; the one without biases. So, it’s no surprise that he bestowed his children with the same teachings. In a world constantly divided by hate, O’Neal and his family are a pillar of peace. Recently, Shaqir, his youngest son, seemingly made a big revelation about his religious beliefs.

While his children learned how to respect other religions and cultures, they do enjoy complete autonomy over their choices.

Shaqir O’Neal confirms religious beliefs

Shaqir has built up a strong social media presence. In addition to that, his strong play on the court has also garnered widespread attention. Recently, the 6’7 forward made his March Madness debut. However, his move to Texas was a relatively shocking one.

Previously, the youngest child of the Los Angeles Lakers big man drew interest from schools like Georgia Tech and San Diego State. Along with those names, Shaq’s alma mater, LSU, was also in the hunt. But, Shaqir cited “change the narrative” as the reason for a move to Texas, enrolling in an HBCU.

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Recently, Shaqir came into the news due to his off-court activity. With close to 900,000 followers, his social media presence continues to grow. Seemingly confirming his religious beliefs, O’Neal shared a post saying, “The time will show you that everything happened for a reason. That’s the love of Allah.” 

Previously, many high-profile NBA players have come out as devout Muslims, including Kyrie Irving. Perhaps a strong-headed mentor like Irving would work wonders for the kid. Moreover, he also has his father, Shaquille O’Neal, for mentoring lessons. Even though he has never outright claimed any religion as his own, indications of him being a Muslim are well to see.

Shaquille O’Neal once shared his beliefs on religion

There have been clear indications of Shaq’s religious sentiments. Over the years, he’s made his dream of making the Hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, evident. However, he has never outright claimed any religion as his own.

Instead, the 7’2 giant said that he belongs to every religion because he is a people person. When he’s not kissing fellow Muslim Hedo Turkoglu before every game or holding a fundraiser for his friend, O’Neal has made the Islamic origins of his name known as well.

His full name, Shaquille Raushaun O’Neal translates to little warrior in Islam. As he recalled, his mother named him such because he was her little warrior. 

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Either way, with a mentorship cast of Shaq and Kyrie, perhaps Shaqir can make a smooth change and be proud of his beliefs in the way he should be.