Fans of Shaquille O’Neal are well aware of the impact his stepfather Phillip Harrison had on his life. The retired US Army drill sergeant imbibed discipline into Shaq and helped him achieve the many feats he is known for today.
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However, after Sgt. Harrison passed away in 2013, O’Neal sought out the only remaining paternal figure in his life — his biological father, Joseph Toney. It was a big change for Shaq, who, only a decade before, wanted nothing to do with the man.
“Nothing personal. Philip Harrison raised me, made me who I am today. It would be disrespectful of him to meet somebody else and call somebody else my father. I could never do that,” he said after winning his third consecutive Finals MVP award in 2002.
Decades after he walked out on him and his mom, Joseph finally received a visit from his estranged son. Speaking to Middle Eastern podcaster Anas Bukhash a couple years back, Shaq talked about his reunion with Toney.
“One day my mother called me after my father passed away. She said, ‘You should connect with your biological father.’ So, I said okay, call one of my uncles who’s a cop. ‘Locate him, find out where he’s at’,” O’Neal shared.
The 7-footer would reportedly visit Vonda’s Kitchen in New Jersey every year, not knowing that his father lived in the building above. When his uncle told him, Shaq returned to the restaurant in Newark with a different intent.
“So, I meet him, we talk, we have a good time. And he says, ‘I’m sorry.’ I say, ‘You don’t need to say you’re sorry, brother’… I live a great life. Everything happened that was supposed to happen for Shaquille O’Neal,” he added.
“I surprised him, I bought him a car. He said, ‘What’s this for?’ I said, ‘Whenever I come to town and say come see me, don’t have me waiting 30 minutes.’ Bought him a car so it’s- we’re good. That’s because my mother, she wanted that to happen.”
Whether he’s deciding on his charitable endeavors or fighting Charles Barkley on the hardwood, the only person who can influence Shaq’s decisions is his mother, Lucille O’Neal. She has been a staple in some of the biggest moments of Shaq’s life and career. As such, it only makes sense that it was her facilitating this moment for her son.
Of course, Diesel still has some difficult feelings to contend with, which he shared with Bukhash during their conversation. “It’s just that I’m 50 now. So, I don’t need a father,” he explained.
Despite his difficult history with Joseph Toney, O’Neal only wanted to thank him for bringing him into the world. Certainly, there are a few million fans who would thank his biological father for the same.
