Shaquille O’Neal will go down as one of the most influential basketball players of all time. Many people view Shaq as a great player on the court, and a comedian off of it, but do not know about O’Neal’s tough childhood. Luckily, Shaq had two loving parents including a father who pushed him to do his best at everything he did. With hard work and dedication, Shaq was able to earn a college scholarship, and become the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. While I read Shaq Uncut by Shaquille O’Neal with Jackie Macmullan, I was able to make connections to Shaq’s life on the basketball court, evaluate his father’s way he treated Shaquille, and question as to why Shaq became so good at the sport of basketball. Because I, like Shaq, also play
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Most people do not know, that the person Shaq considers his father to be is not his biological dad. His biological father was also a solid basketball player. The father he lived with however, had a much greater impact on his life. Shaq nicknamed him “Sarge” (O’Neal 9), as he was a sergeant for the United States. O’Neal often got into trouble, so his father would sometimes use physical harm as punishment. Since Shaq was not a very good student, and often found trouble on the streets, he felt as though the beatings may have been worth it. “I deserved it. He did it to keep me in line. I swear, if he hadn’t, I’d probably be in jail right now- or worse” (O’Neal 9). Not only did Shaq’s father keep him in line, but he also pushed him to work hard, especially in school. Perhaps just the thought of the physical toll his body would take was enough to make him try in school. Since Shaq did not always have the artifice of basketball, Sarge encouraged Shaq to keep hitting the gym. O’Neal’s father was also the person who got Shaq to dunk. After missing a finger roll, Shaq’s father practically embarrassed him into dunking the basketball. After that talk, Shaq went back into the game and CRUNCH, threw down a monster slam! :) (Onomatopoeia). His father made sure Shaq played with toughness, and emotion. I do not think that Shaquille O’Neal would have become the great player he became without his father, and his “tough-love” (O’Neal
Most people do not know, that the person Shaq considers his father to be is not his biological dad. His biological father was also a solid basketball player. The father he lived with however, had a much greater impact on his life. Shaq nicknamed him “Sarge” (O’Neal 9), as he was a sergeant for the United States. O’Neal often got into trouble, so his father would sometimes use physical harm as punishment. Since Shaq was not a very good student, and often found trouble on the streets, he felt as though the beatings may have been worth it. “I deserved it. He did it to keep me in line. I swear, if he hadn’t, I’d probably be in jail right now- or worse” (O’Neal 9). Not only did Shaq’s father keep him in line, but he also pushed him to work hard, especially in school. Perhaps just the thought of the physical toll his body would take was enough to make him try in school. Since Shaq did not always have the artifice of basketball, Sarge encouraged Shaq to keep hitting the gym. O’Neal’s father was also the person who got Shaq to dunk. After missing a finger roll, Shaq’s father practically embarrassed him into dunking the basketball. After that talk, Shaq went back into the game and CRUNCH, threw down a monster slam! :) (Onomatopoeia). His father made sure Shaq played with toughness, and emotion. I do not think that Shaquille O’Neal would have become the great player he became without his father, and his “tough-love” (O’Neal