Shaquille O’Neal has time and again credited his mother, Lucille O’Neal, as the person behind his success. While his stepfather Sergeant Phillip Harrison had raised him to be a capable man, Shaq’s mother had to go through her fair share of problems while raising her son as a single mother. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has never refrained from talking about his childhood and the troubles that he had gone through along with his mother. For instance, in a recent interview, Shaq addressed how his mother was once forced out of the house while she was pregnant due to traditional and conservative family values.

The name Shaquille O’Neal is known to every sports fan and to people outside the sports community as well. Known as one of the most dominating players in the league’s history, Shaq has created a legacy that many can only dream of. And the majority of the credit for that goes to his mother, Lucille O’Neal. Shaq explained why in a recent interview.

Shaquille O’Neal talks about his troubling childhood

In an interview with Anas Bukhas, Shaquille O’Neal  opened up about his biological father, Joseph Toney, and what led to his mother’s decision to leave him. When Bukhas talked about Shaq’s milestones, he pointed out that the former NBA superstar’s biological father had abandoned his family. However, Shaq corrected him and said he didn’t abandon them. But due to the issues he was going through, Shaq’s mother decided to go separate ways. According to Shaq, Toney was in prison and dealing with drug issues, something that Lucille didn’t want affecting her son early on in life.

“So we were back and forth for two-three years. But when she told the family she was pregnant, they told her to get out. Get out,” Shaq told Bukhas, to detail the issues his mother had to go through while raising him and his siblings. Conservative family beliefs didn’t approve of Lucille O’Neal, who was pregnant at the time and had made her decision to be a single mother instead of staying in a failing relationship harmful for her children.

Shaq’s grandmother eventually accepted him and his mother when he turned three-years-old. The Lakers legend recalled that when his grandmother saw him for the first time, she had said that he would be recognized all over the world one day. Furthermore, reflecting on Lucille’s second marriage with Sgt. Harrison, Shaq simply said that ‘it was supposed to happen how it happened’.

READ MORE – 6 Months After Mother Shaunie’s 2nd Marriage, Shaquille O’Neal’s Millionaire Son Flexes Relationship with Stepfather

How did Shaq get his name?

When Shaquille O’Neal’s mother was asked to leave the house, she came across a ‘Muslim brother’ who happened to have a book of names. Given that Lucille was pregnant with Shaq at the time, she went through the book until she stumbled on Shaquille Rashad. The name meant ‘little warrior’ and Lucille believed that Shaq would grow up to be just that.

WATCH THIS STORY: Shaquille O’Neal Could Buy LeBron James’ Former Team Using $600 Million Net Worth

“She was always saying to me that I was going to be a little warrior and we was going to be together forever. And then two years later, she married a Muslim man, Sergeant Phillip Harrison. So I understand the culture. I’m all about peace,” said Shaq.