Shaquille O’Neal is not one of those athletes who had a late growth spurt. Standing at 7ft 1″ today, Shaq had grown close to that size as early as his high school years. Watching his son grow so big, Sergeant Phillip A. Harrison would take nothing less than absolute domination from Shaq, even reminding him regularly that all his competitors were at least 5 inches shorter than him. In a recent interview with Ahmad Rashad, the Lakers legend remembered this quality of his father while talking about what made him great.
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‘The Big Diesel’ being cussed out by his father did not stop when he entered the NBA. Sergeant Harrison always wished to see his son perform at the highest level. So, if he spotted him slacking off at any given moment, he’d call him out on it. Shaq once revealed what Harrison said to him during a game:
“Uncle Jerome was security behind the bench. And my father (Phillip A. Harrison) would call him during the game… ‘Yes, sir?’
(Harrison tells Shaq) ‘Why the f**k am I watching this sh*t?! You’re playing like a little b*tch. Turn it up, mother*cker!’”
Phillip A. Harrison was something beyond scary.
Shaquille O’Neal reveals to Ahmad Rashad how his father motivated him
Shaquille O’Neal’s father, Phillip A. Harrison had a military background, as the title ‘Sergeant’ hints. He was used to a certain brand of physical discipline, something he applied on Shaq as well. This is something Shaq has thanked his father for on multiple occasions, believing he needed it considering how wild he was as a child.
Along with the physical discipline also came a hunger for brilliance, as Harrison was seen instilling this willingness in O’Neal from a very young age. Naturally, that applied to basketball as well.
As he spoke to Ahmad Rashad during a recent interview posted by the NBA on YouTube, Shaq revealed the rationale his father used to motivate him to be great. The following is what Shaq said:
“In high school, I was playing against guys that were 4-5 inches shorter than me. And that’s when my father said, ‘You know what? I don’t care that they’re 6ft 3″ and 6ft 4″, you’re 7ft1″! Play like you’re 7ft1″! Intimidate them. Make them scared. Make them quit in the first quarter’. So, because I was athletic, because I had that powerful prowess, I always tried to play with aggression.”
Phillip A. Harrison did a stunning job with his son. Not only is Shaq now unanimously considered the most dominant player to have ever played, but he is also one of the kindest people in the NBA community. Fame and money have failed to get to his head. Instead, he uses them to the benefit of other people, less fortunate than himself.
Being the perfect son he is, ‘The Big Diesel’ even gave each of his parents a ‘salary’ during his time in the NBA.
Shaq paid his parents enormous salaries under one condition
Shaquille O’Neal was drafted into the NBA, in 1992. As per Afrotech, Shaq confirmed that he did the following right after his selection:
“So, [the] first thing I did was incorporate ‘Shaq’ and then I put my mom on salary and put my dad on salary. And you know, we had a fan club. I got ’em an office and got ’em a car and they were so proud. Cause the best day of my life was when I got drafted.”
O’Neal also gave his mother a salary, with her’s going as high as $750,000. However, there was a condition to it. O’Neal made a deal with his parents that in return for their salaries, they would learn ‘business’.
