Shaquille O’Neal is the kind of guy who will be nice to even if you have angered him. And when it comes to gratitude, you will see it pour out of him in more ways than one. When we hear stories of Shaq, we are reminded of why he is so beloved.
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His generous contributions to society. The constant effort he makes to go and integrate with people in his neighborhood is commendable.
The Laker legend is the epitome of how you should behave when you have made it. There is no doubt about it, all of it can be attributed to his upbringing and one of the main factors is his stepdad, Phillip A. Harrison.
Shaq’s stepdad was part of the army and from an early age, he instilled a sense of discipline that is hard to come by.
Shaquille O’Neal refers to his dad Phillip A. Harrison as perfect
In a podcast with Anas Bukhash, Shaq is asked for one word for his stepdad. And he says “Thank You”. Of course, Anas interludes with the one thing that O’Neal thinks about Phillip A. Harrison.
Shaq says”perfect” and then says, “perfect is in the eye of the beholder“. He talks about how his dad told him from age 7 that he would turn him into NBA’s most dominant player.
Shaq waxes lyrical about his stepdad, adding, “He looked at little kid, who wasn’t his and said you’re gonna be a bad man.”.
The belief his stepfather had in him set him up to be the legend he is today. And Shaq wishes to echo the same lessons to everyone around him.
Shaq’s stepdad inspired him to abandon fear and face everything
O’Neal continues talking about his dad for a brief moment. He says that he was the one who told him not to be afraid of Patrick Ewing and to look him in the eye when facing him.
Shaq says Phil epitomized the PPL concept of being a father. According to Shaq, it stands for Protect, Provide, and Love, the very values that Phil had in abundance.
It is a pillar that he thinks is intrinsic to every real parent. Phil’s upbringing is reflected well through Shaq’s actions.
