“Not Only Did I Get Drunk, I Hated Beer..”: 13-Year-Old Shaquille O’Neal Was Forced to Gulp 12 Pints in a Row Just to Learn a Lesson

Shaquille O’Neal once revealed an interesting story in an interview to explain his apathy towards alcoholic beverages. As it turns out, Shaq’s father once caught him drinking alcohol with his cousins at the young age of 13. After that, O’Neal received the lesson of his life that would make him indifferent to alcohol forever.

Frequently, Shaq has discussed his father’s influence on his life. Sergeant Phillip Harrison instilled in the Lakers legend most of the core values that would help him exceed all the metrics of success in his career. But being a military official, Sergeant Harrison’s lessons weren’t always a walk in the park.

13-year-old Shaquille O’Neal was forced to engulf 12 pints of alcohol by his father

In a Vanity Fair interview from a while back, Shaq revealed how his father once taught him a tough but valuable lesson. As it turns out, Sergeant Harrison caught a 13-year-old Shaquille O’Neal drinking beer with his cousins. Therefore, he decided to uproot the future Hall-of-Famer’s bad habit before it got a chance to develop further.

“Actually, my father caught me sipping a beer with my cousins when I was, like, 13,” Shaq explained in the interview. “So he made me drink a 12-pack right then. Not only did I get drunk, I hated beer, and I never had the urge to drink again.”

Read More: 7 Ft Shaquille O’Neal Thankful to African-American Legends Like Bill Russell for Paving the Path to His Superstardom

The punishment may seem a bit harsh to some. However, it served the purpose brilliantly. Shaq never fancied alcohol ever again, which benefitted his health in the long run.

Shaq’s father was a strict disciplinarian

Sergeant Phillip Harrison played a vital role in shaping Shaquille O’Neal‘s career. In fact, the four-time NBA champion has admitted on several occasions that his dad’s tough parenting kept him out of trouble.

Shaq had shown signs of delinquency in his early years. But his father’s stringent authority helped him to evade bad influence.

“I was a bad kid,” Shaq admitted in the interview. “Without my parents, I’d probably be dead or in jail by now.”

Watch this Story: Stephen Currys Diet: Wife Ayeshas Twist To The Same Meal On Every Game Day For The NBA Superstar

However, the former Lakers center utilized his parents’ teachings to better his life. After dominating the basketball court for almost two decades, he returned to school to complete his education and become a more well-rounded man.