“He was the one who took me from a boy to a man.” As concise as it is, this line from the lyrics of ‘Biological didn’t bother’, the song Shaquille O’Neal wrote to honor his stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison, describes what the “drill sergeant” means to the NBA legend. Shaq credits Harrison for guiding him through his tumultuous days as a teenager when he could have slipped into a life of a juvenile delinquent. However, Harrison himself wasn’t a perfect man to start with, and had his fair share of troubles before he became part of the O’Neals.
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Shaq revealed that his stepfather decided to let go of his questionable past after meeting his mother, Lucille O’Neal. Harrison became a responsible man for the woman he wanted to be with. Shaq was two years old at the time.
“My father was a heavy juvenile delinquent who realized when he met my mother and I that he had to become a man, join the army,” Shaq said on the GOAT TALK podcast.
Harrison, who was of Jamaican origin, served in the army where he learned the value of discipline. And he wanted to set the right example for Shaq and his siblings so that they didn’t take the wrong path. He became a strict father, but that was exactly what the O’Neal family needed at the time.
Earlier, during an interview with Graham Bensinger, Shaq had elaborated on how much he respects Harrison.
“I respect a man that walks into a city hall, meets a lady,” he said. “The lady has a son, he says, ‘So what?’ He takes the lady and his son in and brings in his two daughters, and they have a family, and they raise a family. I respect the man.”
Shaq’s stepfather also introduced the big fella to the sport that would take him to global superstardom. But it is the valuable lessons about life which Harrison taught that made O’Neal a champion not just on court but outside as well.
O’Neal learned how to care for others
Shaq is one of the most generous celebrities out there. He regularly donates money, buys people things they need, and spreads love and joy. Many of Shaq’s admirable qualities were instilled in him by his stepfather, leading by example.
Harrison used to lend a helping hand to the homeless. The big fella started doing the same when he came into money.
During the conversation with Bensinger, Shaq had recalled that he once went out with Harrison to get some cheeseburgers. On the car ride back home, the sergeant spotted a homeless person and pulled over. He checked with the stranger and found out that he was an army veteran.
Overcome with emotions, he ended up giving all the cheeseburgers and an additional $20 to the homeless man.
“He gets in the car and he slams the door and he’s got a little tear in his eyes and he just looks and said, ‘If you ever make it big time, make sure you help those in need,” Shaq recalled.
Harrison passed away in 2013, while his legacy continues to live through how Shaq has turned out to be — a man with his heart in the right place.
