There are several stories Shaquille O’Neal has, to tell us about his childhood, but he chose this one, and it’s not entirely right
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As successful as he is today, $400 million worth Shaquille O’Neal did grow up in an ideal household in Newark, New Jersey. When he was just an infant his father, Joe Toney was arrested and imprisoned for illegal drug possession.
Joe’s involvement in his life stopped right there. His mother, Shaunie O’Neal who was working multiple jobs to support the family and her tremendously fast-growing kid, then married a man who was an Army Sergeant.
Phillip Arthur Harrison, who Shaq describes as his real father to date. He credits Phillip for instilling everything he learned about being a good human being and a terrifically better father than his biological one.
Because of him, O’Neal, despite being the biggest kid in his class throughout his childhood, was never a bully. In fact, the now 7-foot-1 giant himself got bullied until he was 14. But he did unlearn some of those ethics after growing up.
Shaquille O’Neal probably has a habit of making up stories
The future LSU and NBA legend at 14 years of age, while being a sophomore in high school was moving back and forth between Texas, U.S. and Germany. And if he is to be believed, he grew 7-foot tall at the time and somehow even got bullied.
Now his Wikipedia and Robert G.Cole school records tell us at 16 he was 6’10 and was one of the most dominant high schoolers in the country who help his team maintain a 68-1 record in two years.
Science says almost all men grow at least until they are 18 and some even in their early 20s. By that theory, The Big Diesel would’ve been much taller than he is today if he grew what he claims at that age.
The man has even accepted his real height to be 6’11 without shoes. He has said on a separate occasion that he never bullied anyone after 5th grade. So, let’s just all stop believing in stories, assuming them to be true from start to finish.
It could be a cause of his growing age as well. He might not give it away, but the man is getting old. Or maybe he just likes making up stories, like Michael Jordan.
