Shaquille O’Neal recently shared a powerful and pivotal moment from his youth that helped shape his legendary career. During an appearance on The OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, Shaq recalled a game from his teenage years where his father, Phillip Harrison, slapped him in front of a packed gym to remind him of his true potential.
“I remember this like it was yesterday—I had 45 points in three quarters. So we were playing against little kids. We’re up by 40, and I wanted to work on my shot. I crossed a dude up at half-court, gave him a nice little move.”
“You know, instead of going to dunk it—’cause I’m 6’11″—I get to the free-throw line, shoot a jumper, and I miss. My father walks on the court, in his Drill Sergeant ‘Call a timeout.’ He grabs me by my collar, takes me outside.”
“‘What you doing?’ I say man I am working on my, (gets slapped on the head)”
“Magic Johnson. Be Shaq!” So now the whole gym, everybody saw me get smacked, I can’t cry. So coach calls a play I said f**k that give me the ball.”
“Because now I am mad, when I am dunking I wanna break the rim just for this motherf***er smacked me in front of everybody. So, the next 20 plays, I’m dunking—boom, boom, boom—getting my knees up. He’s like, ‘That’s what I’m talking about!'”
As a young player, Shaq, who stood 6’11” by his teenage years, admired NBA stars like Magic Johnson. He wanted to play with finesse, handling the ball and shooting jumpers like guards, even though his physical gifts made him more suited for dominating the paint. One day, during a game in which his team was up by 40 points, Shaq decided to try his hand at playing like Magic. He crossed up a defender and, instead of going for a dunk, attempted a jump shot—which he missed.
That’s when his father, a strict Army drill sergeant, stepped in. Harrison called a timeout, walked onto the court, grabbed Shaq by his collar, and took him outside. Before Shaq could explain himself, his father slapped him across the face. The slap wasn’t just physical—it was a wake-up call for Shaq to embrace his unique gifts and play to his strengths.
Embarrassed but motivated, Shaq re-entered the game with a newfound aggression. Fueled by his father’s tough love, he spent the rest of the game dunking relentlessly, overpowering his opponents with ease.
This incident was a turning point for Shaq. He embraced his size, strength, and athleticism, unlocking a mentality that would make him one of the most dominant players in NBA history. No longer trying to be someone he wasn’t, Shaq leaned into his natural gifts and became an unstoppable force on the court, using his brute strength and agility to overpower opponents and shatter backboards.
Shaq’s father’s tough love may have been unorthodox, but it helped instill in him the mindset that led to an extraordinary NBA career. With four championships, three Finals MVPs, and a place in basketball history, Shaquille O’Neal lived up to his father’s expectations by being his most authentic, dominant self.
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