One of the most common insecurities among men is with their height. Believe it or not, even NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was also once insecure regarding his stature. It wasn’t till an interaction with a close family member that Shaq began seeing himself in a different light.
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The average height for a male in America is 5-foot-9. O’Neal was that height during his elementary years. When Shaq turned 10, he crossed the 6-foot milestone. Later in his life, he experienced the advantages that come with being tall. During his childhood, it didn’t appear that being tall was all that special. If anything, being tall was a negative.
“I went to the doctor and the doctor said I had Osgood-Schlatter,” O’Neal said on Armchair Expert.
Osgood-Schlatter is a disease where inflammation of the patellar ligament, which usually affects adolescents as they grow up. The level of pain O’Neal was feeling in his knee was extreme. As a child, the pain would be extremely overwhelming. When looking for something to pin the for the pain on, his height became a piñata.
O’Neal’s mother could tell that her son was beginning to despise himself for being abnormally tall, especially for his age. As a result, there was one person who she believed could leave a lasting impression on Shaq.
“My great-grandfather, whom I met before he passed away, was 7’4. He lived in Dublin, Georgia,” O’Neal said. “My mother tells me, ‘You come from great stock.’ When I seen this man on his farm, he had an ox. When he took off his shirt, he looked like a He-Man doll.”
O’Neal couldn’t believe the man standing in front of him was a relative. “My mom was like, ‘That’s how you’re going to look when you’re older,'” Shaq revealed. From that point on, he fully embraced his height.
Shaq would grow up to become 7-foot-1 as an adult. During the physical peak of his basketball career, O’Neal’s stellar performance matched his outstanding physique. His great-grandfather certainly would have been proud of the man O’Neal became.
That experience as a child, shaped O’Neal to ensure his children never experience those same insecurities. Shaq has two sons who have carried on the tradition as basketball players: Shareef and Shaqir. The eldest of the two, Shareef, stands at 6-foot-10, while Shaqir is 6-foot-8.
Shaq has empowered them as children to never loathe their physical appearance. It makes sense why they’re able to flourish in their confidence, no matter what they put their mind to.
