“My Step Father Was Crying!”: How Shaquille O’Neal Once Brought the Man That Raised Him to Tears With $500,000

Shaquille O’Neal has always been a very giving man, even when it comes to his own parents

Shaquille O’Neal has a magnanimous net worth of $400 million, a high number, but not one Shaq got to by being cheap.

Alongside his many businesses, one of his ventures has been to help out those in need around him, no matter who they are, and where he is. And that includes times when he may be close to jewelry stores as well.

However, this generosity doesn’t stop with strangers. Far from it.

In fact, on one occasion, he was so generous toward his parents, that it made even his Army Drill Sergeant cry.

Also Read: “Is Shaquille O’Neal married?”: Was Lakers legend ever able to pick up the pieces after Shaunie O’Neal left him?

 

After Shaquille O’Neal struck it big in the NBA, he made sure his parents got a massive payday alongside him

Shaquille O’Neal would not have been the player he went on to become in the NBA if it weren’t for his parents.

His mother exemplified the toughness and heart you need to live with problems in your everyday life. And on the other hand, not only did his stepfather Phillip Harris teach him that, but he also taught Shaq to be Shaq.

He taught him to be big, mean, and ruthless. He taught him the value of being an absolute bully and was a massive reason behind him later becoming the most dominant player of all time.

The way Shaquille O’Neal’s parents molded him was massive. And apparently, he wanted to give back to them, with quite a thank you.

Here is what he had to say on the matter, as per AfroTech.

“So, [the] first thing I did was incorporate ‘Shaq’ (the brand) 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. My parents like, ‘Congratulations, love you.’ Cause you know my dad [is] hardcore. ‘See you later. Don’t lose your money.’ He wanted to stay on the Army base. ‘Like nah, come with me.’ [He replied], ‘Nope’ [I asked], ‘How much you make in the Army?’ [He said], ‘I only make $60,000.’ [I told him], ‘Now you making half a million a year.’ [He said], ‘What?’ He started crying.”

He then asked his mother, “‘Mom, how much you wanna make you make?’ [I told her] ‘You make $750,000 a year,’”

Most people around the world just give their first paycheck to their parents. But this is Shaq.

Of course, he was going to give his stepdad $500,000, and mom $750,000, blowing any heartfelt traditions right out of the water. And we can’t be happier for the family that he did.

How did Shaquille O’Neal’s stepfather Phillip Harrison shape his game?

Believe it or not, Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t always intending on being Shaq.

While he was growing up he idolized Julius Erving, more popularly known as Dr. J.

His graceful finishes around the rim had the world captivated, including a young Shaq.

You emulate the players you admire, which is something the Diesel tried to do during the game, missing a graceful attempt at a layup.

And then, as you can read in full detail here, Shaquille O’Neal revealed how the next few seconds went down.

Given how his playstyle was throughout his tenure in the NBA, it’s fair to say these words stuck with him.

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