“How Does It Feel to Be Rich”: Shaquille O’Neal Describes How His Definition of Richness Hinges on Mother Lucille

After a stellar NBA career in which he won four championships with two different teams and earned over $292 million in salary, Shaquille O’Neal did not rest on his laurels. Instead, he remained busy and began investing his money in businesses to ensure the money train never stopped. His impeccable business acumen has helped him amass a net worth reportedly over $500 million. But he never sought to be this wealthy. His only goal in life was to be rich enough to make his mother Lucille’s dreams come true.

During an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, the host asked O’Neal whether he had joined Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James in basketball’s billionaire club. The Hall of Famer responded that he hadn’t calculated his net worth because he didn’t need to as he is exactly as wealthy as he set out to be. He said,

“A little kid asked me the other day, ‘How does it feel to be rich?’ I answered, ‘My definition of being rich is being able to buy my mother whatever she wants.’ My favorite person in the world… I’ve seen this woman sacrifice so much… My parents didn’t get their own house until I got drafted. That’s why I’ve always paid attention when it comes to finance.”

O’Neal has never shied away from talking about growing up in abject poverty and the sacrifices his parents and his grandmother made to ensure he had as comfortable a life as they could provide. He wasn’t the most well-behaved kid and got into trouble often, but as he got older and understood how hard his mother worked, he changed as a person.

How observing mother Lucille got Shaq’s life track

In an interview on the Jennifer Hudson Show, O’Neal detailed the exact moment he realized he had to get serious about basketball and shoulder the responsibility of lifting his family out of poverty. He said,

“[I saw my mother Lucille] wake up, make our breakfast, iron our clothes, work all day, wear the same gear she wore not yesterday, but the day before, mix it up, come home, cook our dinner, and never complain. So I said as a youngster, if I make it rich, I want my mom to be able to have anything she wants. So as long as my mom can have anything she wants, I’m happy.”

After getting drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and becoming a millionaire overnight, O’Neal bought a house for his family. Four championships, an MVP Award, and a Hall of Fame induction likely pale in comparison to the joy he felt the day he finally fulfilled his promise to his mother.