‘I dunked because I was mad at him,” Shaquille O’Neal’s Drill Sergeant father was reason behind breaking backboards

With his father support Shaquille O'Neal had an dominant NBA career.

‘I dunked because I was mad at him,” Shaquille O’Neal’s Drill Sergeant father was reason behind breaking backboards

Shaquille O'Neal and his father (Credits: NWI Times and CGTTN)

Shaquille O’Neal might rank among the top three former NBA players in terms of success after retiring. In a society where it is common to hear about a former professional athlete who gambles away all of their money and ends up penniless, Shaquille O’Neal has persevered and developed a remarkable career. However, a lot of the credit for where he is today and where he used to break rings belongs to his stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison.

Shaquille O’Neal talked about how, going forward in his life, a slap from his father caused him to destroy the entire basket each time he dunked the ball. During an interview on the Knuckleheads podcast, Shaquille O’Neal discussed the decision he made to dunk the ball as hard as possible each and every time.

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Shaquille O’Neal said via Knuckleheads podcast:

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I was in high school playing against some little guys. I'm supposed to be dunking. I'm not dunking; I want to lay it up, but I miss it. My dad walked on the court, and tells me to call a timeout. I go outside. He said, man what you doing and I said I'm working on my Dr.J, Magic shit and then he smacked me.
Shaquille O’Neal via Knuckleheads podcast

To provide further background, Since Shaq was a young child, his military-affiliated father has been extremely strict and hard on him. He became enraged upon witnessing his son playing a high school game carelessly and made sure to express his feelings to him.

Shaquille O’Neal’s performances were never enough for his father

Shaq’s biological father, Joseph Toney, was never truly present in his life because his mother, Lucille O’Neal, was forced to raise him as a single mother. Phillip Harrison is what helped Shaquille O’Neal get into basketball. Harrison took him to a Philadelphia 76ers game to see his son’s favorite NBA player, Julius Erving. Shaq decided to join the NBA after observing him up close.

Shaquille O'Neal and his father
Shaquille O’Neal and his father (Credits: Pinterest)

He continued on the Pat McAfee Show, recalling how his father would scold him for failing to make free throws. Shaquille O’Neal said:

Growing up in a drill sergeant environment, my dad wasn’t satisfied with a good amount. Whenever I scored 30 points. He would say, ‘No, he missed 12 free throws, you should’ve had 42 points.
Shaquille O’Neal on the Pat McAfee Show
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Shaquille O’Neal had to prove himself every day growing up with a father like Phillip Harrison. Shaq felt confident in his skin after figuring out what he was truly good at in basketball and honing that skill. He aspired to be the best on the court, just like any other basketball player.

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