Parenting isn’t easy for anyone and that certainly applies to Shaquille O’Neal. Despite the NBA legend’s luxurious life, there are challenges which arise that leave a lasting impact on him. One of the most embarrassing moments as a father came when he couldn’t help his son fill out a resume.
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O’Neal didn’t live the life of a typical teenager. In most instances, kids in their adolescent years get a part-time job during high school. While Shaq grew up in the low income Newark, New Jersey, he didn’t need to find a gig. O’Neal’s focus was instead on becoming the best basketball player possible. Funny enough, his first source of income came when he became an NBA player.
Shaq doesn’t loath in pity for not experiencing the struggle which most people face. However, there was one moment with his son which opened his eyes to the extent of his privilege.
In 2022, Shaq sat down with David Kock of Sunrise and opened up about one of the most embarrassing moments as a father. He recalls the inability to help his son with his resume.
“I am grateful because I realize that the position I am in, in life, is a lucky position,” O’Neal said. “I never had a real job in my life. When I was trying to help my son fill out a resume, I had to call somebody, I couldn’t do it … I was embarrassed.
The encounter with his son led O’Neal to call for someone else to help fill out his son’s resume. The moment left a lasting impression on Shaq as a father since he didn’t know how to do something which felt so basic.
Regardless, Shaq isn’t the only one who has felt embarrassed in the relationship with his son. Shareef once revealed an instance where his father embarrassed him.
Shaq embarrassed Shareef in grade school
O’Neal is an exuberant personality, which must be most apparent in the lives of those who see him daily. Shareef has shared many laughs with his father and many moments of cringe. However, one moment reigns atop as the most embarrassing involving his dad.
“One time at school, I was in middle school, there’s a big window and you could just see him peaking,” Shareef said. “He comes into class and he picks me up and starts hanging me from my ankles. Everybody is just laughing at me… That’s probably the one time he’s embarrassed me.”
Shaq’s hilarious interaction with his son came in the middle of Shareef’s class. Many years later, O’Neal still considers it the most embarrassing moment with nothing else coming close. Nonetheless, he knows that comes along with the comedic side of his dad. Unfortunately, it came at his expense.
