NBA fans will be aware that Shaquille O’Neal held an incredible amount of respect toward his stepfather Philip Harrison. However, that was not the only man in his life who made a positive impact on O’Neal when he was growing up.
As we all know, Shaq and his family went through a fair share of struggles during his childhood. After all, his biological father Joseph Toney was out of the picture after abandoning his family and soon being arrested. Harrison soon came into his life and played the role of a father figure in Shaq’s life.
Be that as it may, O’Neal revealed in an interview that Philip Harrison wasn’t the only male figure who influenced his life. He went on to share that a man named Mike Parris also deserves a fair share of credit. Considering that we have never heard about this man and his association with Shaq before, let us take a closer look and find out what the NBA legend had to say.
Shaquille O’Neal discloses that Mike Parris was his first mentor
Although we know that Shaq’s biological father was soon replaced with his stepfather, there must have undoubtedly been a window in his wife where his mother was a single parent and struggled with the challenges of raising her children. It was at this time when Parris, who is actually Shaq’s uncle, came into his life and started guiding him down the right path.
O’Neal revealed that Mike should also be credited for raising him with integrity and teaching him more about the workings of this world.
“There are some people that we are just meant to experience life with. When those people happen to be in your family, the world can seem a lot less scary. With these mentors in our corner, we are raised with the determination and confidence to realize the potential that they have seen in us from our very first moments… For me, that mentor is my Uncle Mike Parris. Uncle Mike is, without a doubt, the reason I have become the man I am today.”
Shaq learned that the best things in life are earned and that there aren’t any shortcuts to accomplishment from Mike Parris. These are very important life lessons and clearly translated and helped with his journey in the NBA. However, he never really gave Mike much acknowledgment when compared to Philip Harrison.
While there is no way for an uncle to do what a father or stepfather can do, Parris was an integral part of O’Neal’s development and has finally been publicly acknowledged for his impact on Shaq’s life.