Shaquille O’Neal remembers what motivated him to aim for greatness in his life. While most NBA superstars saw competing in the league as their top goal, Shaq had a different vision. He was motivated by the one he loved most, his mother. O’Neal spoke about the same on an episode of his show, “The Big Podcast.”
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Shaq had Armando Bacot on his podcast. O’Neal gave the G-League star props for doing things the right way on his journey toward the pros. He then shared a bit of advice with him regarding motivation. The four-time NBA Champion suggested that Bacot use motivation that “upsets him,” referring to it as a fuel that should drive him toward his goals.
Co-host Adam Lefkoe then asked Shaq what could Bacot do to become “meaner.” Again, Shaq mentioned the importance of motivation. He stated that wanting to make it in the league isn’t enough. For Shaq, seeing his mom look at houses she couldn’t afford is what fueled him.
“Mine was to get my mother a house. I’ve never lived in a house before that. We’d go from army barracks to army barracks. I used to ride around with my mother. She used to look at $200,000/ $300,000 houses and stop. That’s my motivation, and nobody’s stopping me from making me get my mother a house. Sometimes you have to, instead of saying “I wanna make it,” it has to be higher,” stated a sincere Shaq.
The Diesel kept his promise. He worked hard and was the best player in the NBA for several years. Not only did he have a successful career on the NBA floor, but as an entrepreneur as well. His on-court earnings surpass $282 Million, and his net worth is currently over $500M.
One of the first things he purchased when he got his first NBA check was a $700,000 house for his mother. That wasn’t the only kind deed he did for Lucille. He also paid the tuition for her to go back to college. She would go on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.
Shaquille O’Neal said some beautiful things about his mother on the Jennifer Hudson show
Shaquille O’Neal is a rich man, but no amount of money could ever amount to how much his mother Lucille means to him. The Hall of Famer proved this during an old interview on the Jennifer Hudson Show. Hudson asked Shaq where he gets the energy to help other people. It didn’t take him long to respond.
“My source of energy comes from one person: Dr. Lucille O’Neal, that’s my mother,” a somber Shaq stated. This prompted him to discuss what kind of woman Lucille was when he was growing up. “My definition of rich is growing up watching a woman wake up, make our breakfast, iron our clothes, work all day, wear the same gear as yesterday, make our dinner, and never complain.”
Shaq has worked hard all this time to provide his mother the kind of life she dreamed of. It’s inspiring to see how love can lead a person to fight against the odds and propel them to greatness.
