Just like many other basketball players and athletes in the U.S., Shaquille O’Neal struggled while growing up. Things aren’t that easy for many people around the country, and Shaq learned how his mom had to work hard to survive and make sure he lived a decent life.
It wasn’t easy, of course, as Mrs. Lucille O’Neal gave birth to Shaq when she was 18, which meant things would be difficult for her and his son. She became a single mom after Shaq’s dad left, but that didn’t stop Lucille, who fought hard to give O’Neal and his siblings some basic needs.
Talking on Today, three years ago, Lucille opened up on her struggles as a young mom and what it meant to have Shaq with her:
“17-you absolutely do not know what you’re doing. So you do the best you can with what you have to work with,” said Lucille, “And then just take a day at a time.”
“Shaquille is the oldest, and he’s 47. Latifa is 41, and then Aisha is 40 and Jamal is 39. Shaquille was the one that helped me with them, and now he’s the eldest. …He takes good care of the family, so he’s setting a standard for the rest of them and has always done that.”
Then, she was asked about the difficulties of raising her kids, and how hard it was when Shaq was growing up:
“When they were younger, it was a lot harder because we were trying to make it, and the budget was low and transportation, we didn’t have enough. We didn’t have enough food, enough clothes, we were always lacking something. So it was very hard, but what helped us most is when we bonded together as a family.”
As Lucille explained, Shaq made sure to take care of his loved ones, and that hasn’t changed a bit now. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has always made it clear he has his people’s back, and whatever they need, he’ll provide.
Moreover, he also helps people in need, always trying to give back to the less fortunate. Shaq is a real one, and his mom surely played a role in that. The Big Diesel is a very generous man that doesn’t hesitate to help others out. That was a lesson his step-father taught him, and Shaq hasn’t stopped taking care of people.
