Shaquille O’Neal grew up in poverty as his mom struggled to pay for the family
Believe it or not, but Shaquille O’Neal didn’t always live the lavish lifestyle that many of us have seen him lead in recent years. In fact, life couldn’t have been much different for the basketball star as he was born in March 1972 to 17-year-old Lucille. Apparently, his name has a lot of meaning as Shaquille stands for “little one,” while his middle name, Rashaun, means “warrior.”
Shaq has three siblings. The family grew up in Newark, New Jersey, an area that was riddled with crime and the use of illegal substances. It wasn’t long before they had to move as Lucille struggled to pay the rent and was forced to feed her family with frank and beans and noodles.
A unique punishment means that Shaq can’t stand the smell of drink
The basketball legend hasn’t opened up about every aspect of his childhood, but he has admitted to one incident that was enough to put him off drinking for life. It all started when he was just 13 years old when Phillip caught the youngster enjoying an adult beverage. The athlete says that Sarge was so upset that he forced him to drink 12 cans of the stuff there and then.
Shaq told Vanity Fair that not only did he feel the effects of it all, but it also put him off the drink and meant he “never had the urge to drink again.” Amazingly, he was true to his word as Shaq’s teammates noticed the then-21-year-old didn’t drink at his Rookie of the Year celebration.
Shaquille O’Neal once hurt someone so badly they had a seizure
Who would have guessed that Shaquille O’Neal was known as quite the troublemaker throughout his childhood? It turns out that he was far from a big softie and more like the town hooligan as Shaq was often caught breaking into houses and cars. Of course, this usually meant he was in for quite the punishment when his stepdad found out.
However, it was one moment in particular that changed Shaq’s life. He was just ten years old when he allegedly hurt another student so severely that he suffered a seizure. In his autobiography, Shaq confessed that he would see the kid’s face “For a long time afterward when I turned out the light.” It seems it was enough to leave quite the impression on the youngster.
