“My Parents Were Lucky to be Making $30,000”: When Shaquille O’Neal Used His Popularity to Make Lucille and Philip Harrison $100,000 Richer

Shaquille O’Neal grew up in a financially challenged household. Though his father had previously worked in the army, his paycheck was nearly not enough to raise the four kids and care for the other members of the family.

Being the oldest, O’Neal was relatively the more mature one and sometimes understood the struggles his parents dealt with. Though he always wished they had been richer, always wished, like every other child, for toys, and bikes, he still understood the pressures any such demand would put on his family.

Moreover, Lucille and Philip Harrison ensured their son, technically Harrison’s stepson, knew the value of money. So, Shaq grew into a kind man with a desire to get richer beyond his wildest dreams.

Once he became an NBA star and had the money to do whatever he wanted, he found ways to give back to the community, to his fans, and to the people who needed his help. But Shaquille O’Neal never forgot his childhood and his parents’ struggles either. So, he found a way to give back to his parents as well.

Shaquille O’Neal hired Lucille and Philip Harrison

In his book Shaq Uncut, Shaquille O’Neal wrote about how after he got rich, he decided to help out his parents. Lucille and Harrison apparently earned only $30,000 at the time. Though not too less by a long shot, it wasn’t the best salary either.

O’Neal decided to put his parents in charge of his fan club. Along with the role, he also paid them a salary of  $100,000 each. According to O’Neal, this was his gift to them. He detailed the instance in his 2011 book, Shaq Uncut.

O’Neal: “I knew the big money was coming, so I told my father, “Get out of the army. Come with me.” At that point both of my parents were lucky to be making $30,000 a year. I hired them both to run my fan club at $100,000 each. I said to them, “This is my gift to you.”

Shaq even paid off his parents’ credit debt

Before offering Lucille and Philip a job, Shaq had also done something as impressive. Even before he made any money from the NBA, Shaq received an impressive endorsement from Classic Car worth $1 million.

Back then Lucille and Philip’s credit had been terrible. So, O’Neal took $150,000 from the endorsement money and paid off the credit debt. This was the first of all that he would do for them. Not surprising considering how important they were in his rise to stardom.