Shaquille O’Neal and his mother, Dr. Lucille O’Neal, share a unique and loving bond. Given their close relationship, Lucille has always influenced Shaq throughout his NBA career and after that. She was one of the former Lakers man’s main motivators in winning his first NBA championship.
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Shaq was drafted into the NBA in 1992 with the Orlando Magic. Although he did take the Magic to the NBA 1995 Finals, he had not won a championship until 2000. The next moment, he went to find his mother and pecked her on the cheek after winning his first title. After all, Lucille’s motivation and constant persuasion helped Shaq through some of his darkest times.
In his autobiography Shaq Uncut, O’Neal mentions how his mother would draw Michael Jordan’s example to inspire Shaq.
Shaquille O’Neal’s title drought at the start of his career affected his morale negatively.
In all honesty, Shaq might have been one of the league’s best prospects since his draft in 1992. However, his efforts were largely unappreciated at the start of his career. Shaq and Penny Hardaway formed an epic pair. This dynamic duo led the Magic to their first NBA Finals in 1995. However, they lost to a dominant Rockets, who clinched their second title in a row that very year.
To inspire a demotivated Shaq, his mother would say:
“Michael didn’t do it the first time. Michael didn’t do it the second time. Stay with the mission.”
His contract situation with the Magic further dented Shaq’s career. There were speculations of Rich DeVos offering him a $115 million contract for seven seasons. These speculations soon reached the media, with the local news outlet Orlando Sentinel posing lasting damage to Shaq’s morale.
The news agency polled its readers on whether Shaq was worth $115 million for seven years. The results showed a staggering 91.1 percent of voters voting ‘No.’ This media poll was one of the major reasons Shaq shifted teams and joined Jerry West’s Los Angeles Lakers. At that time, West was transitioning the Lakers into a young, dynamic team of players featuring the best prospects, such as Kobe and Shaq.
On the eve of the 2000 playoffs with the Lakers, Shaq’s mom told him:
“Turn your ear off to the naysayers. Don’t let them crush you with their words. You have to change your way of thinking. You were the happiest, most positive little boy I’ve ever seen. Now draw from that positive thinking as a grown man.”
Shaq won his first championship in 2000. The Lakers also won a threepeat during his time there. Shaq did take his mother’s words seriously and emulated something similar, if not the same, as Michael Jordan.
Shaq immediately ran to his mother and kissed her on the cheek after first championship win
Shaq’s mom Lucille understood why her son slumped in his career in his hay days. In the autobiography, Luicille was noted saying:
“Everything with Shaquille was, he’s a great player, but after a while, what people say about you starts to influence your thinking. It can overwhelm you. And it started to overwhelm Shaquille.”
That very season, the Lakers had been very dominant in their play. Shaq went on to score 41 points and was named the Finals MVP.
Immediately after the game, he spotted his mother and planted a quick peck on her cheek. A nod to the woman who had given him the emotional support to power through the tough blows that had plagued his career. With the Larry O’Brien trophy in one hand, he wrapped his other hand around his mother’s waist. Extremely grateful to the woman who raised him, Shaq told Lucille:
“Mom, this one is for you.”
