Shaquille O’Neal has always maintained that his stepfather, Sergeant Phillip A. Harrison is the only dad he had ever needed. After all, while Harrison may not be his biological father, he is the one who stepped up. However, there was a time when his mother Lucille O’Neal hadn’t met him yet. Back then, both Shaq and Lucille were alone, trying to figure life out together. And being the eldest child, even a very young Shaq felt a strong sense of responsibility toward his family. There is no greater proof of that than some of the excerpts from his mother Lucille’s testimony from the book, ‘Shaq Talks Back’.
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The only thing most 7–8-year-olds are worried about is probably what the best candy is or what games to play on their computer, or something frivolous along those lines. However, a young Shaq had to instead show a deep sense of maturity in the absence of a father in the household. And as he grew up, that side of him only got stronger, with the man even buying his mother a $100,000 Mercedes with his very first paycheck.
But even when they had no money, Shaq helped his mother in ways that can’t be measured. And this is one such story.
‘7-8-year-old’ Shaquille O’Neal helped his mom get through a crisis in a rough part of town
Even when Lucille O’Neal married Sergeant Phillip A. Harrison, Shaq didn’t have the most comfortable of lives. However, it was one that was far easier than when he wasn’t in their lives. Shaq’s mother was struggling to make ends meet, and getting food on the table was never easy. When you consider the fact that she was still very young, being stuck in a bad part of town with a car full of kids must have been nerve-racking for her.
During one such incident, due to a flat tire, Shaq and a pregnant Lucille were stuck in the Ironbound section of Newark. Knowing the neighborhood, she and her kids were forced to be in. All she could manage to do in that situation was to sit on the curb and sob endlessly.
But in her words, that is when Shaq, who was ‘7-8 years old’ at the time stepped out of the car to help his dear mother out. Here is the excerpt in question from the book ‘Shaq Talks Back’, that came from a letter written by Lucille O’Neal.
“In 1979, I was pregnant with one of my daughters…It was almost pitch-dark down there. I didn’t know how to change a flat tire…I’m a young mother in a bad part of town. The only thing I could do is just get out of the car, sit on the curb and cry.”
“All of a sudden, Shaquille got out and came up to me. He must have been only seven or eight years old at the time. He didn’t cry…“Ma, it’s gonna be all right,” he said. He comforted me and told me it was gonna be all right. So I knew that I could depend on him from that day. We sat there for a minute and a man came along and helped me. Shaquille helped the man fix the tire. From that day, Shaquille was always there for me. He still is there for me. He’s my protector.”
Even for an adult, what Shaquille O’Neal did was an incredible act of bravery. And the maturity he displayed, especially at his tender age is almost unbelievable. And that side of him never did quite change.
Shaquille O’Neal used his first big salary to pay off his parents’ debts
Shaquille O’Neal’s first NBA contract gave him $3 million after he was drafted by the Orlando Magic. While that may not seem like much by today’s standards, it was something akin to a godsend to Shaq and his family. And the then-young man knew exactly what to do with it.
Immediately, the Big Diesel took out $150,000 from his paycheck to wipe away all the financial debt his parents, Lucille O’Neal, and Sergeant Harrison had incurred. You can read all the details right here. Shaq has also revealed on numerous occasion that he worked hard to provide his mother with a comfortable life.
