How Shaunie Henderson Turned Ex-Husband Shaquille O’Neal’s Challenges Into a Tradition of Caribbean Vacations

Shaquille O’Neal learned firsthand that a holiday trip with five young kids is an arduous chore. Trying to unwind after a long season but having to ensure the children stay entertained was a difficult prospect. His wife Shaunie Henderson noticed that her husband was having difficulty trying to balance the two acts. So she came up with an ingenious solution.

In her new book ‘Undefeated by Shaunie,’ she detailed how O’Neal enjoyed spending time with his kids but was struggling to find any personal space while on vacation. At home, he could go to a different room in his mansion to relax, but that wasn’t an option while on a trip. She wrote,

“For him to spend a week in a hotel room with kids running around nonstop was challenging… He loved the kids but having them underfoot for five days was a lot.”

To combat this issue, she planned trips to places where the kids could play around all day while the adults could sit back and unwind. She explained,

“So, I established a tradition: we would always go on at least two family vacations in the summer, when the NBA was between seasons. We went to the Caribbean a lot-Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands anywhere the kids could spend the entire day on the beach and have a good time.” 

The children could indulge in several activities without O’Neal, who could sit back, keep an eye on them, and relax. In her book, Shaunie described the incredible experience of exploring coral life with her children while also sailing in a glass-bottom boat in great detail. It was an experience not just for their kids but something the adults could enjoy as well.

And even though O’Neal and Shaunie’s marriage didn’t last, the two still have some fond memories of their time together and the trips they went on with their children as a family.