"My sister Lateefa was my VP of dishes" - When Shaquille O'Neal hilariously revealed his first exposure to teamwork in his Hall of Fame speech
Shaquille O'Neal, one of the best NBA players of all time, became a Hall of Famer in 2019. Off the court, he's a well-known family man, and people close to him say that his life revolves around his three siblings, Ayesha, Jamal and Lateefah. Ayesha died in late 2019, after battling cancer for three years.
During his Hall of Fame induction speech, O'Neal referred to the relationship he had with his siblings and how the time they spent together when their parents were at work helped them create a strong bond. He recalled a funny incident which proved to be his first exposure to teamwork, as he was babysitting his brother and sisters while their partents were not at home.
"My sister Lateefa was my VP of dishes, my sister Ayesha was the Chief Operating Officer of bed making and my brother Jamal was my director of leaves," O'Neal said.
Shaquille O'Neal is the epitome of a family man
Shaquille O'Neal has considered himself the man of the family ever since his stepfather died and has been making sure his family is well provided for and taken care off.
In a clip from the series “Shaq Life,” the Hall of Famer talked about what his stepfather taught him to be a family man and make sure his family is safe and happy.
Aside from his sisters and brother, Shaquille O'Neal has his own large family with six kids. Shaq had his first child, Taahirah O’Neal, with ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh. Taahirah was born shortly after they broke up.
He also had four children during his relationship and subsequent marriage to Shaunie O’Neal: Shareef, Amirah, Sharif and Me’arah. In addition to that, he raised Shaunie’s son from a previous relationship, Myles B. O’Neal. He also looks after his nieces and nephews.
Despite both breakups, Shaquille O'Neal is still on good terms with his ex-wives as he continues to co-parent his children.
"I have two wonderful women that have given me beautiful, gorgeous children. I have to protect and I have to provide and I have to love for them forever," the four-time NBA champion said on "The Pivot Podcast."
The NBA legend added that when he finds himself "checking into the old folks home," he hopes his children will be "running what I started" and continue to contribute to the "generational wealth" he's created.
On the court, his career includes several highlights from his time with the Orlando Magic to the three straight titles with the LA Lakers (2000-2002) and his time with the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
During his time in LA, the Lakers split Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant up in 2004 after it looked like their relationship couldn't be fixed. The Lakers ended up trading O’Neal to the Miami Heat, leaving Bryant as the franchise's leader.
O'Neal claimed the 2006 NBA championship with Miami, playing alongside Dwyane Wade.