Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best athletes that has ever been a part of the NBA. The Big Diesel was as dominant as they come, destroying opponents with impunity and winning three consecutive Finals MVPs. But despite how good he was, even Shaq felt the pressure of expectations from time to time.
In an era where there are a lot of conversations about mental health, the way O’Neal dealt with his issues, though, was quite different. He has often spoken about the impact his father had on him. And on a recent episode of the Big Podcast, while tackling the subject, O’Neal explained how his father dealt with it when he complained about the pressure he felt (via Sportskeeda).
“My father one day after a game I went home and I said, hey man, I couldn’t handle the pressure in New York. He was upset, takes me in the car early next morning and we watch a homeless family. Family that he used to take care of, he said ‘I don’t ever want to hear you say you can’t handle the pressure again. You spoiled MF brat, you got a big house, you got cars, you fly private, I don’t want to hear that.’
“‘Pressure is when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from’. After that, I stopped complaining, because I got it good and he said push through it. Then he made me get out. So I had to get out, got the family apartment, got them on their feet, made a few phone calls and got you know had a job just got him on the feet, but that stuck with me.”
The trick to approaching the subject is seemingly between the two approaches. It’s important to acknowledge and talk about mental health issues, but having a perspective on the situation is equally important. However, Shaq dealt with it, and it seems to have worked for him, though he did pretty well for himself, all things considered.
