“Shaquille O’Neal found out he had a different biological dad at 11!”: When the Lakers legend got shocking news that changed the course of  his life 

Jeet Pukhrambam | 02/06/2022
Shaquille O'Neal has achieved great things. He credits a lot to the support of his dad, his adopted dad. He found out when he was just 11.

Shaquille O’Neal has achieved great things. He credits a lot to the support of his dad, his adopted dad. He found out when he was just 11.

Shaq will always tell you he was fortunate to be where he is. For someone so successful, he sure knows his privilege. The Lakers legend is among the most successful players in the NBA.

His career outside the sport is simply legendary. He is among the most successful businessmen in all of America and his face is a regular feature on TV.

So, how does an NBA center, a very dominant one, end up as a business mogul? Through the right upbringing, of course. It is no secret that Shaq’s dad is not his real dad.

As Shaquille O’Neal, himself would say, “I didn’t find out he was my real dad till I was 11”.

Also read: “Shaquille O’Neal opened an $80 million “Shaq Tower” and kept the penthouse for himself!”: When the Lakers legend debuted as a real estate mogul in Newark

Shaquille O’Neal found out he isn’t a Harrison by birth!

So a curious 11-year-old Shaq asked his mom, why their brothers and sisters’ last name was Harrison while he was O’neal. She simply said “you wanna meet your real dad?” and then she took him to the projects in New Jersey.

He saw the condition of the place and all he could think was “I’m cool where I am, got a house, brothers and sisters, a happy life”.

As the story goes, Shaquille O’Neal discloses that his biological dad show up when he turned 18.

After Shaq’s adopted dad passed away, his mum insisted that he see his real dad. O’Neal narrates that at first he was angry but then he doesn’t hold a grudge.

He simply says he understands his privilege and that his life went the way it was supposed to go. He doesn’t believe in the terms biological and non-biological.

According to him, his real dad raised him.

Also read: “Shaq took a $30,000,000 pay cut to join Kobe Bryant and the Lakers!”: When Jerry West convinced the Big Diesel to accept a $120 million contract

 

 

 

 

Post Edited By: Jeet Pukhrambam

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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