Living in a 76,000 ft house with a $400 million fortune, Shaquille O’Neal was chased by drug dealers as a kid

Shaquille O’Neal, now one of the most celebrated former NBA players in history, was once pursued by drug dealer.

Shaquille O’Neal is a living legend. The heights of his success dwarf almost all athletes. Only a few can comfortably claim to be on the same level as him.

He has made himself a $400 million empire by his sheer brilliance. The majority of his net worth comes from not even his NBA career but his investments.

Having invested in Google, Ring Camera, and Papa John’s, Shaq’s net worth is not surprising at all. But it does highlight his ability as an entrepreneur.

Yet, growing up, money and success were alien concepts to O’Neal. He came from a humble background. But before his 76,000 ft house, Shaq was just a kid dreaming of making it big in the NBA.

Also read: Jae Crowder wants “stolen” championships but, LeBron James’ former teammate JR Smith, just wants his money back!

Shaquille O’Neal’s aunt chased a drug dealer away from him

In his autobiography, Shaq revealed how one of his aunts had protected him back then from drug dealers.

He wrote: “If my grandmother or my aunt Viv or my mother saw the drug dealers slinking around our apartment they came out and told them to keep moving along. They warned them they better not mess with their Shaun. Once, when one of those shady guys started talking to me, my aunt Viv came flying out the door and started throwing punches. “You leave him alone!!” she said, pounding her fists on the dude’s back. “That boy is going to be a ballplayer!!!””

In Diesel’s own words, he was ‘surrounded mostly by women.’  Those women played an important role in shaping Shaquille O’Neal. Especially his grandmother, Odessa.

The Big Aristotle considered Odessa’s lap his safe place. When the Blazers faced the Lakers in Game 7 of the 2020 Finals, O’Neal and Co. were 13 points down.

Diesel, in his autobiography ‘Shaq Uncut,’ revealed that he felt everyone would hold him responsible for yet another loss.

But the legendary center had to find a way. So, he remembered what Phil Jackson had told him. Jackson had asked his team to go to their safe place whenever in crisis.

Shaq recalled in his book that he followed Phil’s advice. Her memory helped O’Neal focus back on the game. He led the Lakers to the first championship of their three-peat.

Also read: Former Warriors’ Rookie Recalls How He Made Stephen Curry Spit Water On The Court After A Timeout