She’s more than Shaq’s mother, Mama Diesel, or an NBA mom. Dr. Lucille O’Neal is a college grad, author, success story, philanthropist, and more. She’s back with a new memoir since 2019, While I Have Your Attention, but this one is different. Lucille gave the raw truth about the downsides of being Shaquille O’Neal’s mom. From the day the most dominant center in NBA history stepped into the spotlight, Lucille became an accessory. She’s since regained her sense of self, all with the support of her son.

“Parenting is not easy because, first of all, you don’t know what you’re doing. I was a mother at 17 and didn’t have a clue. If it weren’t for my grandmother and mother, I probably wouldn’t have learned many of the basic things about being a mother,” Lucille told Essence recently.

Since becoming a mother a 17, Lucille’s first priority was raising her four children. She has no regrets though. “I think being a mother is a special gift. You have to do everything you can to nurture your child and the gift inside them, too. So sometimes, that requires putting ourselves on the back burner.”

It was a different story when her eldest child became an NBA superstar. While being recognized as Shaq’s mom she said she went back to school and found new purpose in charity. “I was out of high school when Shaquille was born, but I always wanted to go to college. It took me 30 years to get there. I tell everybody he blessed me because he paid for my college education.”

Lucille and her late husband, Phillip Harrison, insisted on Shaq going back to LSU to complete his degree. He’d go on to get an MBA too and a D.Ed and is working on a masters in sports psychology. But the big man also knew how much his mom wanted to complete her education.

Lucille O’Neal defined her successful son

When he was young, Shaquille O’Neal saw his mother skip on a new dress for herself to ensure extra spending money for the kids. It defined his concept of success – being able to give his mother whatever she wants. More than a new house and cars, Shaq knew his mother wanted to complete her education most.

So Lucille enrolled in Bethune-Cookman College in 1999 with support from all four children. Shaq paid her tuition, funnily doing the typical parent thing of telling her to keep her grades up. By the time Shaq had two rings, she was in the 2001 graduating class and Shaq was at the ceremony. She later got her masters from the University of Phoenix – where Shaq also did his MBA – and is now Dr. Lucille O’Neal.

That was only the tip of the iceberg. Lucille attended a Christmas event for kids decades ago and wanted to give them presents. It took only one phonecall to her son and 7’1″ Shaq-a-Claus arrived loaded with presents. O’Neal’s annual holiday charity spree, Shaq-A-Claus was thus born.

Shaq also dedicated himself to helping families like the one he grew up in, encouraged by Lucille. All his work with the Boys and Girls Club is inspired by her. And when Lucille wants to give out hundreds of Reebok shoes to little kids, she only needs to give her son a call. She’s not just Shaq’s mom anymore. She’s Lucille O’Neal, a changemaker.