You would think it would be obvious, the most natural thing for a young man that physically imposing, with that much athleticism. Why wouldn’t the young Shaquille O’Neal gravitate toward professional basketball? Yet as a young man, Shaq says he had other things on his mind, and it wasn’t until a special moment that he decided the NBA was his future.
Thanks to our friends at TheSportsRush.com for info on the story of Shaq’s youth. Bottom line: Shaq said seeing Julius Erving dunk made him want to be in the NBA. Now, for many of us growing up and watching pro hoops, it probably made a lot of us want to be in the NBA… but not all of us had the physical skills and size to make that dream a reality.
Growing up, O’Neal said he lived what he called a “humble” life with his mother and stepfather (a man who he quickly accepted as his father) and his two sisters and brother. Stepfather Philip Harrison worked a number of jobs to make ends meet. That would lead to the family moving to and living in several different states over the years, and even included a stint overseas in Germany.
In a recent interview, Shaq talked more about his relationship with his stepfather and the moment he realized he wanted to be an NBA player. O’Neal said that on one particular Christmas morning, he was gifted an autographed ball, signed by Julius Erving, who was his favorite player at the time.
While talking about Erving, he recalled the time he and his dad went to a Knicks game (as Shaq says, in the “nosebleed section” of the area). It was from here that he saw Dr.J throw down one of his iconic baseline dunks and according to him, was the moment he decided to straighten himself out and focus on making the league.
In Shaq’s words, that game and that moment led him to start what he called a transformation from “juvenile delinquent” to a young man on a mission… to put in the work needed to become the star player we had the pleasure to watch over the years.
That would eventually lead to a great high school hoops career, then on to LSU and later being the first player selected to the NBA in his draft class. After 19 all-star seasons, we know Shaq as he is today: TV sports commentator and high-powered businessman.
Interesting to see how stories get started! How many young people (both boys and girls) watched Shaq in his player career and used that vision to feed their own futures? Can’t wait to hear the stories that are just now being written.