Phillip Harrison steps up as Shaquille O'Neal's stepfather
By Edcel Panganiban November 30, 2024 06:30
Family means a lot to Shaquille O'Neal. He always valued his mother growing up which translated well into his NBA career. However, Lucille O'Neal did not raise the NBA legend on her own due to the help of Phillip Harrison. Who is he in the most dominant NBA player's life and how deep was their bond?
Shaquille O'Neal's biological father was Joe Thuney. But, he could not be there for the growth of his own son because of his struggles with the law. Joe was put in prison and was rarely ever seen by his family since then. Lucille O'Neal would eventually meet Phillip Harrison and the two became a couple. From then on, he stood up as the father for Shaq.
Harrison taught him how to be disciplined on and off the court. Furthermore, his teachings are still embedded to the NBA legend's head to this very day. More than the helpful lessons, his stepfather also boosted the young basketball player's confidence despite tough losses in life and in basketball. At one point, O'Neal even remembered what Harrison said to him about his NBA All-Star hopes: “He’s the guy that told me one day that I would be here. He takes me to Madison Square Garden. I look at him and say, ‘Sir, this is what I want to be when I grow up.’ His exact words: ‘If you listen to me, I’ll make you one of those most dominant big men ever.’ ”
Clearly, Shaq needed a lot of guidance and help growing up. Thankfully, he had Phillip Harrison by his and his mother's side in order to be great at his craft. The fact that he took the NBA legend in and treated him as his own son speaks volumes about how great of a character he bore.
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