Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal is infamous for dominating the hardwood for over a decade. The classic highlights of the early 2000’s Lakers are ubiquitous, with the Big Diesel dominating the best centers in the league. O’Neal’s biggest assets were size and strength; he was a man among boys. However, he has carried these freakish attributes for as long as one can remember.

In his latest mini-documentary series creatively dubbed SHAQ, Shaquille O’Neal reflects on his journey to the NBA, his Hall of Fame career, and retirement. The project had been long overdue for a while now. However, the much-awaited first episode of the documentary aired on Wednesday, 23 November.

Shaquille O’Neal was 6’4” at just 11 years old

The first episode of the HBO mini-documentary series SHAQ finally hit the screens on HBOMAX earlier this week. The four-part documentary covers the various phases of Shaquille O’Neal’s storied life in sequential order from his childhood to the present day. The first episode, which is an hour long, covered the humble beginnings, college dominance, the NBA draft, and his stint with the Orlando Magic.

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While covering O’Neal’s childhood and early origins of his basketball stardom, in one segment, the Big Diesel reflected on a bizarre incident. The Hall of Famer growing up was a freak of nature. At just 11 years old, he had grown to be 6’4″. The size helped him dominate the court. Moreover, O’Neal used to play with players much older than him. Once, a more senior player walked up to him, shocked by his size and age said, “You’re 11? How are you, 11 and 6 ft 4? You must be stupid or something.” 11-year-old O’Neal, with defiance, replied, “What you just say? Three o’clock, outside in the back.” 

His size got him in trouble more times than one can count. His mother, Lucille O’Neal used to carry around his birth certificate to prove that he was just three years old because of his size. However, as time passed, O’Neal’s size turned from boon to bane as he used to get teased for his unnatural frame. But his peers soon realized teasing the 6’9” 13-year-old O’Neal was a bad idea. For a brief period, O’Neal went down a dark path of delinquency. However, he was brought back on track by his stepfather.

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O’Neal’s biological father, Toney, left him and his mother behind after getting imprisoned for drug possession. O’Neal’s mother then married Philip Arthur Harrison, a military sergeant. Consequently, O’Neal grew up around army bases in New Jersey, Germany, Georgia, and Texas. On these bases is where he proved his worth on the basketball court. Moreover, Harrison was an extremely strict father who disciplined Shaq in his military style, which ultimately helped him.