Shaquille O’Neal’s biological father, Joe Toney, wasn’t part of his life growing up, but his stepfather, Phillip Harrison, was. Harrison ensured O’Neal never felt the absence of a father figure, and the two had a lot of love for each other. That said, Harrison, an army sergeant, wasn’t easy on his stepchild, and O’Neal spoke about an aspect of parenting style on the Straight Game Podcast.
“My father used to punish me every time an athlete did something crazy,” O’Neal said. “So, back in the day, let’s just say a guy lost a million dollars, which was a lot. I’d get in trouble for that. So I was very conscious of like, ‘Okay, I’m making a lot of money now. I got to find ways to make sure that I always keep this money.’
“The worst whooping I ever got and probably my last whooping was he came in the house one day and he was crying,” O’Neal stated. “And he had his uniform messed up, and he said, ‘If you ever do Coke, I’ll kill you.’ So I’m 13. I don’t know what he’s talking about. I was like, ‘Dad, I don’t drink Coke. I drink Pepsi.’
“But this is when Len Bias died,” O’Neal added. “So that’s why I don’t do no drugs. ‘Cause, when I tell you he touched me up, he touched me up real nice.”
Len Bias was a highly thought of prospect whom the Boston Celtics had selected with the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. Bias would never play for the Celtics, though, as he passed away just a couple of days after the Draft due to a cocaine overdose.
Harrison’s methods were extreme, and you wouldn’t recommend them, but he wanted to make sure O’Neal didn’t go down the wrong path in life. Once he became rich and famous thanks to being an NBA superstar, there wasn’t anything that he couldn’t get his hands on.
Those beatings from Harrison ensured O’Neal didn’t take up drugs or squander all his wealth. He has a massive business empire today and boasts of a net worth of $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
O’Neal also revealed during this episode that Harrison taught him discipline and structure.
“My father disciplined me so much, it got me to the point to where once I make a mistake, and I know it’s mistake, I’d have to delete it out my program and never make that same mistake again,” O’Neal said. “And he just taught me to never be satisfied.
“I remember as a youngster winning everything,” O’Neal added. “I never lost an AAU and all that stuff. Every time I win and bring a trophy home on Saturday, you know how we do with the kids on Saturday. By Monday, it should be gone. And he was the type of person you could never ask him. So finally, when I got older, I asked him. He said, ‘I never want you to be satisfied.'”
Whatever one may think of Harrison’s approach, it helped O’Neal become one of the greatest players in NBA history. He wasn’t satisfied after winning his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and went on to lead the team to a three-peat.
O’Neal also once shared how Harrison set him on the path to becoming the most physically dominant player in modern NBA history. He certainly was the biggest influence on the Hall of Famer. Harrison passed away in 2013, and O’Neal was deeply saddened by his passing. He at least lives on in his stepson’s heart.
