"I was so fucking mad I wanted to break the rim off" - Shaquille O'Neal owes his stepfather's slap in high school for enrooting dominance in his game
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most dominant players in NBA history. His dominance didn't start when he entered the league in 1992, but when his stepfather slapped him in a high school basketball game.
In an interview with Business Insider, O'Neal recalled how he tried to emulate Magic Johnson in high school. However, "Sarge" Philip Harrison didn't like him playing like a guard. He wanted his stepson to play like a dominant big man, so he slapped into reality.
"'F**k that. Be Shaquille O'Neal. Dunk it every f***ing time,'" O'Neal on what his stepfather told him. "The boys knew what happened. They knew 'Sarge' done touched me up. ... When I dunked, I was so fucking mad I wanted to break the rim off for him."
To read the entire article on Shaquille O'Neal by the Business Insider, click here.
Shaquille O'Neal was around 6-foot-10 in high school, and he began to dominate after the incident with his stepfather. O'Neal led Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas to an impressive 68–1 record in a two-year span. Shaq also carried them to a state championship in his senior year.
The four-time NBA champ took his talents to Louisiana State University and played three years of college basketball there. He was then drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992. He was an All-Star in his rookie season and the accolades never stopped coming.
Shaq joined the LA Lakers as a free agent in 1996 and went on to win three straight titles from 2000 to 2002. He was traded to the Miami Heat in 2005 and delivered their first championship a year later.
"Diesel" also played for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011. He was a one-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and a 15-time All-Star. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
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Shaquille O'Neal documentary on HBO to premiere on Nov. 23
As first reported by BreAnna Bell of Variety, HBO will release a four-part docuseries on Shaquille O'Neal titled "Shaq." The documentary will focus on O'Neal's life and career, with exclusive interviews with players such as Dwyane Wade, Penny Hardaway, Derek Fisher, Dennis Scott and Rick Fox.
"Shaq" will air on HBO on Nov. 23, 9 p.m. Eastern Time. New episodes will be released in the next three weeks on Wednesdays. The docuseries will also be available for streaming via HBO Max.
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